business plan pitch deck

12 Startup Pitch Deck Examples [+ Template]

A great startup pitch deck is an integral part of launching a business. This deck is presented to prospective investors to convince them to invest and help you grow your startup . The trick to having the best pitch deck possible is to include enough information to explain your goals and methodology without losing your audience’s interest.

Pitch decks are usually in PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, or Google Slides to make them easier to present to potential investors. However, the deck can also have an alternative format like a Word document or even a video. For inspiration, let’s go through some successful startup pitch deck examples and discuss what they got right. 

Pitch Deck Basics

There are some overarching characteristics that make for a great pitch deck. While we’ll go through what a deck typically includes and some relevant business pitch examples, you can pick and choose certain elements as long as your startup pitch deck has the following basic qualities:

• Design-forward: Customers expect a better experience with your product and that’s achieved through better UX and graphic design. Show your team’s design chops with thoughtful deck design and mock-ups.
• Comprehensive: Be prepared to answer any questions from potential investors. Your slides should cover enough so if they check back for reminders after the presentation, they’ll find the most important information.
• Engaging: A startup pitch deck inevitably includes some boring elements. Your job is to keep it exciting and break up information-heavy slides with features like illustrations and block quotes.
• Straightforward: It’s easy to get caught up with sharing every detail, but it’s more important that your potential investors understand your pitch. For more complicated slides and ideas, pare down your pitch to make it easier to understand.

1. Problem Slide

Your pitch deck should open with a key problem — this is the whole justification for your business and why consumers will find it valuable. A common structure for this slide is to bullet pain points and create a story your potential investors can relate to.

The problem slide is the basis for your presentation. Creating a relatable story makes for an engaging presentation that’s easy to follow and understand.

Uber Example

Why it works : Although it’s not the most visually engaging, Uber’s business pitch example clearly explains how Uber solves key issues with traditional cabs. Uber’s deck is broken down into multiple slides to deliver all the necessary information without overwhelming the audience.

2. Solution slide

After presenting the problem, you should follow up directly with a solution. An effective solution slide structure covers current industry solutions and identifies the gaps your startup fills. This slide has a general overview of any proprietary technology, covers basic product features, and includes relevant interface mock-ups to show investors what your product will do for consumers.

Intercom Example

Why it works : Intercom’s solution slide is simple but effective. While some extra design could elevate this slide, the bullet points are easy to understand and effectively explain Intercom’s unique selling proposition (USP) in the SaaS market.

3. Market validation slide

Market validation is especially important to investors because it shows proof that there are people who will purchase your product. This slide should include any relevant statistics for current sales if your startup has launched or competitors’ sales if it hasn’t. Don’t forget to cover basic information about your target market, their purchasing power, and their habits in your industry. This slide is especially important if your prospective investors aren’t familiar with your product or industry.

LinkedIn Example

Why it work s: At 37 pages, LinkedIn’s pitch deck is longer than we’d recommend.  But what it lacks in brevity it makes up for with powerful market validation using clear data from top competitors. It also breaks down barriers to growth and revenue for these competitors and shows how LinkedIn would improve their models.

4. Market size slide

Market size goes hand in hand with market validation. Once you’ve confirmed your target market has enough purchasing power, you need to justify your product’s longevity.

Focus on continued sales. The two most common elements to ensure your startup brings in long-term revenue are:

• A very large market
• A business model built for continuous purchases (e.g., subscription models)

Facebook Example

Why it works: Facebook is the poster child for successful startups. Its market size slides effectively communicate how Facebook’s initial launches succeeded and justify further growth. The slides with market statistics about college students also explain clearly how Facebook will create revenue.

5. Product slide

The product slide is your chance to nail your pitch and sell your vision to investors. This slide should center your value proposition. A popular strategy for this section is to pose a few questions about your industry and show how your product is the answer. Take the time to craft this slide carefully, polishing it up from the copy to design details.

Dropbox Example

Why it works: Dropbox’s product slides are effective because they show how Dropbox truly innovates over other file sharing services. They justify why now is the time to launch and why consumers will choose Dropbox over competitors.

6. Business model slide

The business model slide covers how the startup will run and launch its product for sustainable growth. This section can compare your startup to other businesses or use internal data if the product has launched.

Moz Example

Why it works : While some of these slides can look busy, Moz’s business model was ahead of its time by calling out why organic marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) have untapped potential. This deck does a good job of explaining the business model to investors who might not be SEO savvy.

But wait...there's more!

7. market adoption slide.

It’s important to show some proof that your target market has interest in purchasing your product, especially if there are other competitors in the market. This is a lot easier if your product has already launched because you can include sales data. If your startup is pre-launch, showing potential market adoption can be tricky. In this case, you can use social proof from similar competitors. If you do this, it’s also important to note how your product differs from these competitors, especially if you can resolve a customer’s complaint. If possible, include case studies in the market adoption slide. These show proof that you can use investments to increase the reach of your startup.

Buffer Example

Why it works : Buffer’s market adoption slides show social proof through key statistics outlining Buffer’s success so far. With an extremely high profit margin and growth rate for their user base, Buffer shows off why their product will offer a larger ROI for potential investors.

8. Competition slide

Many investors look at your competition to help contextualize your startup. If an investor has little or no experience in your vertical, showing competitors they’re familiar with gives them real examples of success. This slide should cover the following topics related to your competition:

• Revenue data
• What competitors do well
• What competitors don’t do well
• How your startup bridges product gaps

Mint Example

Why it works : Mint’s competitor slides are effective because they show current competitors along with future projections for these competitors. This slide effectively shows how Mint creates more value for customers over time and uses competitors as inspiration in their defensive strategy.

9. Team slide

A team slide helps investors get to know the minds behind your startup. Include information about founders, leadership, and top existing investors to show why your team is qualified to launch this startup. Any evidence of past successes with your leadership, consultants, or investors is important to include, as it shows new investors that you have relevant experience to launch your startup. If there’s any relevant history about your startup, such as a higher ROI than expected for a former investor, be sure to include this in your pitch deck.

Contently Example

Why it works : While Contently’s team slide has a lot of information, it’s all relevant to potential investors. In addition to founders and investors, Contently includes top employees, proprietary technology, advisors, and the amount they’ve raised so far. This, along with their financial model slide, show potential investors that Contently will make good use of their investment and even make them some profit.

10. Press slide

The press section of your startup pitch deck is a great opportunity to show off any buzz and get your investors excited about your business. Focus on positive reviews or attention related to your product. Stay away from negative press unless you can show you’ve changed those negative opinions. Make sure to keep these slides focused and succinct. It’s easy to get caught up in showing off product buzz, but press slides should always demonstrate potential for a more widespread product adoption.

Snapchat example

Why it works : Snapchat was in a unique position at the time this deck was created, as its press slide has strong social proof. Snapchat calls out popular users, including press and media sources, that are already using the app. The wide variety of users, including household names like MTV, shows how Snapchat is a well-known social media platform.

11. Testimonial slide

Testimonials give investors insight into what existing customers really think about your product. Testimonials can also shed light on the public perception of your product, especially compared to competitors.

Seventy-two percent of consumers only take action after reading positive reviews. You can use this logic with your potential investors, too.

Positive testimonials show that your customers have brand loyalty and that users are satisfied with the product and customer service. This section of the startup pitch deck is only possible for startups that have launched their product.

AirBnB Example

Why it works : Not every pitch deck includes testimonials, especially if the startup hasn’t launched, but it makes sense to include feedback for Airbnb. Showcasing new users makes this slide simple yet effective. It could also benefit from including average Airbnb ratings for stronger evidence of positive reception.

12. Financial model slide

The financial model slide shows how your product creates revenue. For example, if your product is a subscription-based service, has premium features, or other horizontal integration, you’ll explain that model on these slides. Potential investors should walk away from your presentation knowing exactly how your startup creates revenue and understand any plans to ensure a steady stream of income.

Shopify Example

Why it works : Shopify offers a great pitch deck example of when breaking some pitch norms can work in your favor. Although it’s nearly 30 slides, the entire deck is informative and engaging. The financial model slides work well because they show how Shopify and its past investors turned a profit. Not only do they explain their current financial model, but Shopify also covers their plans for future growth to reassure investors they’ll make a profit, too.

What should you avoid putting in a startup pitch deck?

The best pitch deck is completely tailored to your startup. While there’s no hard-and-fast rule about what you shouldn’t include, make sure everything you’re presenting is relevant to potential investors. 

How do I present my startup pitch deck to investors?

It’s almost always better to present a pitch deck live to investors. Designate one member of your leadership team, ideally a founder, to present your deck to investors. 

Following a script can come across as disingenuous, but using notes is OK, so get lots of practice in before you present to investors.

What should a startup pitch deck include?

A typical startup pitch deck template includes the following slides:

• Market validation
• Market size
• Business model
• Market adoption
• Competition
• Testimonials
• Financial model

However, every pitch deck is different, so your final pitch might skip some of these topics or use multiple slides to expand on certain sections.

Built to scale with HubSpot for Startups

It takes some time to put together a startup pitch deck that works, but once you’ve nailed your presentation, you can reuse it for multiple pitches with just a few tweaks to update any data or statistics. HubSpot for Startups helps you track marketing and sales data to make this process easier. New investors can rest easy knowing you’ve got the support of HubSpot’s powerful CRM at your fingertips.

Get the pitch deck template

Creating the perfect pitch deck and business plan: Examples and best practices [2022]

• January 7, 2022

I know you’ve probably been told that a good pitch deck and business plan are essential in the world of startups. It’s true — they are — but there is a LOT of conflicting advice out there on how to create them. (Hint: There isn’t just one right way.) I want to share some ideas based on solid research and real-world experience so you can create something that works for you.

What is a pitch deck?

What is its purpose, do you need a pitch deck and a business plan, who should create the pitch deck, how do you create a pitch deck, what is a financial model, what is a financial forecast, how accurate does a startup financial model need to be, what to include in an early-stage pitch deck, what should i avoid putting into my pitch deck, slide #0 – title, slide #1 – executive summary, slide #2 – trends, slide #3 – problem, slide #4 – solution, slide #5 – business model, slide #6 – market, slide #7 – competition, slide #8 – go to market, slide #9 – traction, slide #10 – team, slide #11 – investment proposal (the ask), keep it simple, stick to a consistent layout, make it easy to read, use a pitch deck template, beautiful.ai, key takeaways.

In this article, I’ll discuss what a pitch deck is, explain its purpose and its importance in the outreach process, give you tips and practices to create your perfect pitch deck, and what to include in it. We’ll also look at an example of a pitch deck template, using slides from startups that have raised hundreds of millions from VCs. We’ll also explore why you must build a financial model alongside your pitch deck.

Before we get started, remember that pitching on stage and building your pitch deck are two very different things. Pitching is a form of art. Anyone can present a business plan or startup idea to another person, but only a few pitches are memorable and truly capture the interest of investors.

Practice makes perfect, and the better you get at pitching, the more likely you are to succeed. So sign up to pitch competitions, put yourself out there, and get feedback. The more you pitch, the better you will become at it. It’s better to make mistakes when it doesn’t matter than pitch unprepared to critical investors and risk disaster.

Now let’s dive into what it takes to build a great pitch deck!

Pitch decks are an essential document for every founder to master, but there is a lot of conflicting information out there, and no one-size-fits-all template.

To help you get started, we’ve pulled together pitch deck examples and best practices for new founders and early-stage startups.

Using this information to guide you, you’ll be able to create a pitch that will wow investors and get you the funding that your business needs.

A pitch deck is a condensed business plan that communicates your business idea to investors or partners. It should be clear, concise, and well-organised so that it promotes a conversation, not just information that needs to be digested. The pitch deck is used as an elevator pitch during your outreach process and should highlight the key aspects of your startup in a way that gets investors excited about working with you.

The pitch deck itself isn’t going to fund or run your startup — it’s just one piece of the puzzle — but it’s an important one. As Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva, former Chief Evangelist at Apple, and author of The Art of the Start puts it .

The purpose of a pitch is to stimulate interest, not to close a deal.

While the pitch deck is an information-packed overview of your startup, it should be more than just numbers and figures. A winning pitch deck also captures the imagination by telling a story and getting the audience emotionally involved. People don’t buy products, they buy stories — pitch decks help people to see your startup as a compelling narrative instead of just an idea on paper.

A pitch deck helps you generate interest from investors so that they will fund or work with your company in some way. It is a way to quickly pitch your business idea and get feedback, without having to go through the entire business plan. The pitch deck should be used as a tool to start a conversation with potential investors so that you can get their feedback and determine if they are interested in what you’re doing.

For an early-stage startup, the pitch deck and financial model are the business plan. There are too many uncertainties to waste time writing a 100-page business plan. Founders should use tools like the Lean Canvas to help them think through the different aspects of their business, but a pitch deck and financial model are essential when trying to raise money and get investment.

The pitch deck should be created by the founder or co-founder of the company. They are the ones who know the most about their business and can best pitch it to investors. Remember, the pitch deck isn’t what wins you the investment, but it will start the conversation and get people interested in what you’re doing.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer for this question, as the pitch deck needs to be tailored to your specific startup and its investors. However, there are some best practices that you can use to make sure your pitch deck is as compelling as possible.

Financial Model

The pitch deck should always include a financial model, typically as a supporting document, that shows financial projections for the next three to five years. This will help investors understand how you will manage the financial risks associated with your startup.

A financial model is a document that shows how your business will make money and what kind of return investors can expect on their investment. It includes projected revenue, expenses, and profits over a specific period of time.

Investors will expect to see a three to five-year financial forecast, broken down by year and month.

The financial model should also include a section on the startup’s burn rate – how much money the company is spending each month and how long it can continue to do so before running out of funds.

A financial forecast is a projection of future income, expenses, and profits. It typically covers a period of three to five years and breaks down revenue, expenses, and net cash flow by month.

The financial model doesn’t need to be complex, but it should show a realistic understanding of the numbers behind your startup.

It is important to remember that venture capitalists and angel investors do not expect your financial forecasts to be 100% accurate – they simply want to see that you have put thought into your business, that your operational plans are accounted for, and that you understand the basics of financial forecasting.

Pitch Deck Structure

As a founder, you’ll quickly learn that you’ll need more than one pitch deck. Different pitch decks are used for different purposes, and you may end up using a pitch deck that is specific to your target investor, the stage of investment, or the format in which you’ll be pitching.

This means that there is no magic formula for your pitch deck structure. However, there are a few essential slides that should be in every business pitch deck.

• Title or cover slide
• Market size and opportunity

These slides will give the pitch deck a good structure and focus on the key elements that you want to talk about. There may be more slides depending on your company, but those are the main ones that should always appear somewhere in every pitch deck.

Early-stage startup pitch decks are used to spark interest in your idea and the founding team. Venture capital firms and angel investors will be comfortable with greater uncertainty and higher risk in this pitch deck, so there is more leeway to experiment with different ideas and concepts. This doesn’t mean that you should just throw in everything without a thought though!

At this early stage, there will be multiple unknowns that you are setting out to solve, including exactly how you’ll build your solution to the problem, how you’ll find your scaleable route to market, and maybe even how you’ll convert users to paying customers.

It’s normal to not have all the answers to these questions, and that’s OK! It doesn’t mean that you should pitch an idea if you don’t know how it will work yet. All of this is just a reality check for potential investors — they need to see that you have a realistic idea of what you need to do and a plan for how you might do it.

It’s a common mistake for first-time founders to try to put too much information into their pitch decks. This can include everything from detailed financial models to a full history of the company’s founding story. While it’s important to have all this information ready, it’s best to save it for when you’re actually speaking with investors.

Your pitch deck should be focused on your idea and the current state of your company. It should be set up in a way that clearly lays out who you are, what problem you’re solving, and how you plan to solve it. You want investors to see the actual value in investing in your startup so avoid including anything that’s not absolutely necessary for them to understand this concept.

– Do not include unnecessary information or graphics

– Keep your pitch deck to a maximum of 20 slides

– Stick to clear and concise language

– Make sure all the data is accurate and up to date

Be cautious about adding in anything that doesn’t support your pitch deck theme or the key points you want to make. If it isn’t relevant, remove it! You don’t have time for extra fluff when pitching investors; be direct and focus on what matters most.

Early-Stage Pitch Deck Example

The following pitch deck template is a good example of how you can tell a story that builds investor confidence in your startup idea. Using this format will set a great first impression and can help you with raising capital.

This is the most important slide in the whole deck, you need to grab the attention of the investor with a title slide that convinces them to keep reading. Your title slide must:

• Showcase your logo and brand name.
• In one phrase, state your value proposition.
• Engage the reader by promising them an interesting pitch.

It’s important to make your startup feel credible and trustworthy. Just as people will judge a book by the cover, investors will judge your pitch deck in less than five seconds, so make sure you have a strong first impression!

A common mistake that founders make with the title slide is not making the most of the opportunity. Taking inspiration from other industries, a prize-winning sticker on a book cover or a wine bottle has a tremendous impact on sales. What can you do to make your pitch deck stand out?

After catching your audience’s attention, you should include a company summary on slide one. Investors are unlikely to know anything about you or your company, so this is where you need to tell them what you do, where you’re going, and why they should care.

In just a few sentences, you should be able to concisely state the following:

• What your company does
• The stage you’re at
• The traction you’ve made so far
• Where you’re heading

If the title slide is about grabbing attention, the executive summary is about keeping it.

You need to get investors hooked and hungry for more information.

With the investor’s attention now captured, it’s time to give them some context. What industry are you in? What trends are happening in that industry?

Trends are the market conditions that you have zero influence over. But, by showing how you understand them and how they impact your startup, you can demonstrate that not only is your startup inevitable, but that the risk of failure is also reduced.

Your goal with the trends slide is to show that your startup idea isn’t some crazy gamble, it’s obvious and inevitable, and that the market is about to change in a big way.

In the context of startup ideas, the important things to consider about trends are whether they are weak or strong, societal and cultural, or technological.

Weak Trends: These are usually easy to spot and include things like the aging population, increasing internet penetration rates, or a growing demand for a new product or service.

Strong Trends: These are hard to argue against. They will be big and happening quickly. They could be something like the rise of mobile payments, a technology reaching critical mass, or a new way of thinking about an old problem.

Technological Trends: These trends focus on the development of new technologies. For instance, the rise of drones, Web3, and artificial intelligence technologies are all technological trends that would be relevant to an investor pitch deck when combined with a startup idea.

Societal and Cultural Trends: These trends are about the way people are living their lives, and integrating new technologies into them. A good example of this is the trend towards health and wellness. This could be anything from the increasing popularity of mindfulness to people taking more interest in their food.

It’s important to consider societal trends alongside advances in technology, just because a technology is possible, doesn’t mean that people will want to use it (remember Google Glass?).

Building into emerging trends can lead to you raising millions without even having a pitch deck , like Hopin, or still whilst the world is in lockdown and your app is still in beta – like Clubhouse.

Now that you’ve got the pitch deck rolling, it’s time to talk about your startup idea. What problem are you solving? What is happening right now? What are people not happy with?

When it comes to the problem slide, be specific. Don’t just say that there is a problem. Tell them what it is and make your audience feel the pain; they should be able to recall having had it themselves or easily empathise with those that do.

As a founder, you need to prove that you have a deep awareness and understanding of the problem you’re solving. You need to demonstrate that you can stand in the shoes of your customers and see the problem as they do.

Ideally, you should be able to summarise all of this into a problem statement. This is a simple one or two-sentence explanation that describes the problem, identifies the pain points, and explains why it needs solving.

Providing data to back up your problem statement is also important, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. You’re not trying to show the size of the market, just the severity of the problem.

Having built up an understanding of the problem, you now need to explain how you plan on solving it. What is your solution? How will your startup solve this problem? What makes your product or service different?

Your solution slide should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. You should have a brief paragraph explaining what your startup does, followed by supporting information in the form of screenshots, images, or diagrams.

Remember, during live pitching or conversations, you may be able to talk about your solution in more detail – maybe even showcase a live demo – but in your pitch deck, you need to keep it simple.

If you’re having trouble boiling down your complex solution then consider how you would sell it to a potential customer. If you can pitch it to them in a way that they understand and see the value, then your pitch deck will be able to do the same.

With the problem and solution explained, it’s time to move on to your business model. This is a critical slide for any pitch deck as it demonstrates how you plan to make money from your startup idea. It’s showing your investors that you understand the business side of things and that you have a plan for growth.

This slide can be a little tricky to get right, as you don’t want to overload your audience with too much information (especially at idea stage, when you don’t have a fully formed business model). However, you need to convey that the unit economics make sense and that there is a path to profitability.

There are lots of different ways to structure this slide, but the most common model breaks it down into a one-paragraph pitch of your business model, followed by one or two diagrams showing the relationships between your costs and revenue. By using simple visuals, you can convey complex ideas far more effectively than words alone.

Unfortunately, pitch decks don’t have the space to explore every aspect of your business model. It’s a good idea to create a separate document for this, which you can then share with interested investors or partners.

Now it’s time to move on to the all-important question of market size. Market sizing for early-stage startups can be a contentious issue.

Many entrepreneurs think that they need to show huge total addressable markets (TAM), and pitch themselves as the next billion-dollar startup. However, most sophisticated investors how that for most early-stage startups this is not appropriate.

Pitching a large TAM isn’t going to impress investors, they’ve seen it all before, but pitching yourself as the best company in your segment will demonstrate that you have a great understanding of your industry and the opportunity at hand.

It’s most important to be able to show that there is a market for your product or service, that it’s growing, and that there is room for you to compete. You don’t need to pitch yourself as a billion-dollar company, just pitch that you have a good understanding of the market segment, that people are spending money solving this type of problem, and that you’re going to be one of the best companies in your space.

For example, if your idea is to launch the next big analytics platform, don’t pitch a market size that includes every business in the world. Instead, focus on a specific industry or sector and show how behaviours in that industry are changing, paving the way for your product or service.

Again, you don’t need to go into too much detail in your pitch deck. A one-paragraph pitch of your market size is usually enough, followed by a simple diagram showing the trends that are opening up opportunities for your startup.

This is another key slide for any pitch deck, as it demonstrates that you have done your research and that you understand the competitive landscape.

Start by defining the market segment you are targeting, and then show the key points of differentiation when compared to your primary competitors.

Describe how they fit into the customer’s perspective of the market, show where their strengths and weaknesses lie, and how you plan to compete with them.

This isn’t the place for a full analysis of your competitors, but you should be able to pitch yourself as the best company in your space, with a clear understanding of how you’re going to win.

There are two common ways to visualise your competitor analysis, the magic quadrant (or 2×2 matrix) and a comparison table.

The magic quadrant is a way of plotting your competitors on two axes, based on two factors that you’ll pluck from thin air. These visualisations are rarely credible unless you have a lot of experience in the market you are analysing, or they’ve been produced by large consultancies like Deloitte or Gartner.

On the other hand, comparison tables can be very effective as they’re easy to digest, position you alongside recognisable brands, and allow you to highlight the key differences between your company and your competitors. By comparing factors that are demonstrably important to customers, you’ll come across as more credible and able to back up your pitch with cold, hard facts.

Now it’s time to talk about marketing and sales strategy, or how you’re going to get your product or service in front of customers. This is where you’ll pitch your go-to-market strategy. Your go-to-market slide should include the following elements:

• The channels you will use to reach your target audience
• The actions you will take to put your product in front of potential customers
• The milestones you will hit as you progress through your go-to-market plan
• The resources you will require to reach your target successfully

Start by describing your target market and how you plan to reach them. This might include explaining your distribution channels, sales strategy, or marketing approach. You can also use this slide to talk about any partnerships you have in place, or how you plan to leverage them.

Next, explain the actions you will take to reach your target audience, and how you plan to measure success. These actions should fit within each of the channels that you’ve already identified. For example, if you’re using digital marketing, your actions might be things like website development, SEO, or social media campaigns.

Lastly, list the key milestones you will hit as you progress through your go-to-market plan, and identify the resources you will require to achieve them. You can include your team, budget for marketing activities, or specific assets like signage.

As a startup, traction is key. Investors want to see that you’re making progress and that your product is resonating with customers. This slide is often one of the trickiest for startups at idea-stage, as it can be difficult to show commercial progress and it will be too early for product-market fit.

There are a few different ways to pitch traction, and you need to choose the one that works best with your company and the stage you’re at. Some options include user base, revenue growth, or market validation.

If you’re focusing on your user base, you’ll want to pitch a clear and compelling story about your customer base. If you have a small data set, it’s worth showcasing your first 100 customers as this makes the numbers seem more real.

If you have a large customer base, pitch your exponential growth in terms of percentage or absolute figures. For example, pitch how many customers you signed in the past quarter or year.

Revenue Growth

If you’re focusing on revenue growth, pitch your current (or projected) sales figures. You can also pitch the average ticket size or value of your deals. Alternatively, pitch your revenue growth (in terms of percentage or absolute figures) over the past year.

Market Validation

If your product is still at idea-stage and still has a long way to go before it’s ready for market, pitch your progress in terms of real-world validation. For example, pitch the number of people who have registered to use your product or service, or pitch the number of companies that have expressed interest during interviews.

Most importantly, be honest about your progress. If they are interested, investors will dig into your traction claims and you’ll need to back them up with data – if it turns out that you’ve lied or embellished the facts, you’ll not only lose trust and credibility, you’ll probably lose the investment too.

Having set the scene in which your startup operates, it’s time to introduce the management team behind your startup. Investors will be keen to learn about who is leading your company and how they will transform your idea into a profitable business.

The focus here must be you and your co-founders. People invest in people, so you’ll need to show how you have the vision, experience, and motivation required to deliver on your pitch.

Keep your team slide short and sweet. You’ll want to include the founding team, highlighting their relevant experience in the industry or field that you’re operating within.

Pictures help to make your presentation more personal, so make sure you have a good quality headshot of each team member, consistently formatted so that everyone appears the same size and in focus.

The team slide should only include the founding team, though it is acceptable to include key team members, as well as notable advisors or investors if beneficial. If you do this, ensure that there is a clear visual separation between the two groups.

This is the big one. The pitch deck wouldn’t be complete without a clear proposal of what you’re asking for from your investors. This slide should clearly state the amount of money you’re seeking, as well as what you plan to do with it.

It’s important to remember that investors are looking for a return on their investment (ROI), so your proposal must be realistic and demonstrate how you will use the funds raised to reach key growth milestones.

To convince investors, your “Ask slide” will need to answer these three questions:

• How much are you seeking to raise?
• What will you do with the money?
• What do you intend to accomplish with the funds?

Always remember to pitch the ask in terms of how it benefits the investor – not just you. For example, if you’re seeking a £100,000 investment, explain how that money will help you reach a specific milestone that will create value for your investors.

Be specific about how much you need to raise, and where you plan to deploy the money. This will show that you’ve done your homework and understand how you will grow your business.

A simple pie chart with the breakdown of how you plan to use funds can go a long way towards demonstrating to investors that you’re serious about using their money wisely. For example, if 25 percent goes towards marketing spend, 30 percent for technology development, and 45 percent for new hires, that’s a good indication you have your priorities straight.

It’s unlikely that you will be profitable before the next round of funding, but it is usually worth highlighting the key numbers from your financial projections to give investors an idea of the scale and trajectory of your business.

Perhaps the most important factor in your investment ask is demonstrating that you understand how much capital you require to hit key growth milestones without requiring further funding rounds for at least 12-18 months. This is something that almost every investor will expect you to have a solid plan for.

Pitch Deck Design

Whether you’re sharing your deck by email or presenting on stage, the design of your pitch deck matters. However, you can’t afford to hire a professional pitch deck designer to help. So, what do you do?

KEEP. IT. SIMPLE.

Your pitch deck is not the place to show off your design skills – or highlight any lack of expertise in this department! The only goal of your pitch deck is to communicate information clearly and concisely so that investors understand what you’re pitching and can get excited about it.

Keep your presentation simple, use bold typography, highlight key information, and stick to a maximum of two or three colors. Resist the urge to use lots of graphics and animations, as these can be distracting and take up valuable space on your slides.

How to design a better pitch deck

There are a lot of things to consider when designing your pitch deck presentation. Below are some tips on how to make your pitch more effective:

The average investor has a short attention span, so keep your deck concise and easy to follow. Use clear language, avoid complex graphs and charts, and stick to a maximum of 15 slides.

Use the same fonts, colors, and layouts throughout your pitch deck to create a cohesive look.

Slides that are crowded with text and images will be difficult for your audience to read and comprehend.

A pitch deck template is a great way to ensure that your pitch deck looks professional and follows the proper design guidelines.

Pitch deck design tools

Today, there is a huge selection of online design tools and no-code builders to help you build your perfect deck. Below are just a few of the design platforms that can help you craft your pitch.

An easy-to-use platform that allows startups to build a beautiful slide deck without any special design skills. Start from scratch or create your slides using predefined pitch deck templates.

https://slidebean.com/

Offers a wide range of design tools and templates for creating professional pitch decks. The free version includes limited features, while the paid plans start at $12/month.

This pitch deck design app is great for startups and entrepreneurs who need to create a pitch deck quickly. The basic plan starts at $12/month (billed annually) but there is a 14-day free trial.

https://www.beautiful.ai/

The tools provided by Pitch allow you to quickly produce a high-quality pitch. Even if you’re not a designer, you can create a strong pitch deck that looks great. The basic plan is free, but you’ll need to upgrade to the paid plans for more features.

https://pitch.com/

While these design tools can be extremely powerful, it still pays to follow the same basic guidelines to ensure that your pitch deck is easy for investors to understand; Keep it simple, avoid animation, stick to a consistent layout, and make sure your text and images are easy to read.

When you’re trying to capture investors’ attention and raise equity funding, you need to show them that you have a good plan. But startups aren’t traditional businesses and they don’t use traditional business plans.

like the Holy Grail, the business plan remains largely unattainable and mythological. Most experts wouldn’t agree, but a business plan is of limited usefulness for a startup because entrepreneurs base so much of their plans on assumptions, “visions,” and unknowns. Guy Kawasaki

This is why pitch decks are the perfect approach to sharing a startup business plan.

Fundamentally, your pitch deck is used to share your vision, attract investors, and start conversations. As a founder, you should be prepared for investors who may not “get” your pitch deck right away — this doesn’t mean that they aren’t interested in what you’re doing.

Be prepared to answer questions and have an engaging conversation about your startup. Investors want to see that you have a clear understanding of your business, the problem you’re solving, and how you plan on making money. They also want to know that you’re capable of executing your vision.

Remember, pitch decks are just one part of the overall investment process. If you’re able to create a pitch deck that effectively communicates your idea and leaves investors wanting more, then you’re on the right track!

Pitch deck templates

Confidently present your product or service to investors, partners, or potential customers with our library of free pitch deck templates.

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33 Legendary Startup Pitch Decks and What You Can Learn From Them [+10 Free Templates]

A startup pitch deck is a brief presentation that provides investors with an overview of your new business and/or startup idea through presentation slides.

It usually focuses on showcasing your product, sharing your business model, giving a look into your monetization strategy, and introducing your team.

A startup pitch deck is an essential fundraising tool for successful startups, whether you’re looking to raise funding from $50,000, $500,000, or $50 million. However, an investor pitch deck is just one of the best pitch decks and examples we will share below.

Despite the brevity of the successful startup pitch decks, which usually run for 10 slides or less, creating a pitch deck that wins investment is not an easy task.

What Does a Successful Startup Pitch Deck Cover?

A great pitch deck covers key points through visuals and bullet points and usually has a competition slide, a problem slide, and a solution slide to explain your offering and the market.

Additionally, a business model slide and a team slide (if your business is developed enough to present these) can turn a good deck into a great startup pitch deck.

Don’t forget, a simple pitch deck is a good pitch deck—and you’re about to learn how to nail it.

In This Legendary Startup Pitch Deck Article You Will Find:

• Examples of 33 successful pitch decks
• Takeaways that you can apply when creating your own startup pitch deck
• Editable templates of 10 pitch decks that you can use for free

Looking for a winning pitch deck template ASAP to present in front of potential investors?   Try our free template created in collaboration with HighSpark – an agency that has helped more than 500 startups raise cumulatively over $80 million in funding. 

Here is the list of 33 of the best startup pitch deck examples that we will go through:

• ZenPayRoll (Now Gusto)
• Wealthsimple
• AppVirality
• Shape Integrated Software
• Ooomf (now Crew)
• Sequoia Capital

These startup pitch deck examples were created by top brands in tech. At the time, they were all small startups (seed stage companies) looking to raise money or venture capital through potential investors and grow their businesses. Sound familiar?!

We hope that their business idea and investor pitch decks will inspire you (and of course, potential investors).

If you are more of a visual learner than a reader type, you can watch a video summary of the first 10 startup pitch deck examples mentioned in this blog post:

Alternatively, if you’re ready to create your own pitch deck, we’ve added some startup pitch deck examples and pitch deck templates to the bottom of this article. You can go straight to them by clicking here . Or get access to Piktochart’s online design tool by signing up for a free account and choosing a presentation template to get started easily.

From behemoths like Facebook and YouTube to superstars like Buffer, together these startups have raised millions of dollars and are now worth billions!

It’s time to see how they did it.

33 Legendary Startup Pitch Deck Examples

1. facebook pitch deck.

Here’s a fun fact: Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist, and entrepreneur, was the first outside investor in Facebook back in 2004. That’s when Mark Zuckerberg first set out to turn his dorm room project into a lasting business. Zuckerberg received $500,000 from Peter Thiel.

Facebook’s pitch deck was more of a media kit  of sorts. It was containing the company’s value proposition, key metrics, and marketing services that were used to sell ads to potential clients.

Favorite takeaway : The focus of the startup pitch deck was based on solid numbers such as user engagement, traffic, and growth trajectory.

2. Airbnb pitch deck

Airbnb is a platform that allows people to list, find, and rent lodging.

This company is one of the greatest startup success stories of our time.

The now famous Airbnb pitch deck has become one of the best pitch decks for inspiring entrepreneurs around the world.

Favorite takeaway: The intro. It’s all about hooking your audience. You need to describe your business using as few words as possible. Imagine telling a 5-year-old what your business is about. If you can’t do that, it’s time to put some time into nailing it down.

3. Buffer pitch deck

Buffer is a social media scheduling platform that helps you schedule content for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

The almighty startup pitch deck that helped Buffer to raise half a million dollars gained popularity by becoming one of the first pitch decks openly shared online. The founder decided to put it up to help other startups to raise funds.

Favorite takeaway: Similar to Facebook, the deck was based on solid numbers from Buffer’s users (e.g., 800 users, $150,000 annual revenue run rate, etc.)

4. Square pitch deck

Square is a company that allows merchants to accept mobile credit card payments via a dongle.

Favorite takeaway : Social proof! It doesn’t hurt to promote the management team if they’ve been with Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, PayPal, and more. It shows that your management team’s experience is an armor to the company. This detailed startup pitch deck outlines Square’s business model and a simple financial model that portrays its annual revenue and five-year growth rate.

5. LinkedIn pitch deck

Founded in 2002, LinkedIn is the top business-oriented social networking platform.

The company’s pitch talks a great deal about company values, the power of networking, and how it’s different from other social networks out there.

Favorite takeaway : The deck also provides an extensive analogy to showcase to investors what LinkedIn is. For example, it talks about “Web 1.0” vs. “Web 2.0”: Alta Vista was “Search 1.0”, and Google was “Search 2.0”. The deck talks about how LinkedIn is “Networking for Businesses 2.0”.

6. Mint pitch deck

Mint is a personal financial services tool that helps people track their spending and find ways to save money.

This startup pitch deck example was used in a competition and was never used for raising money, but it’s still a powerful deck that startups can learn from.

Favorite takeaway : This simple deck provides a clear value proposition to customers and investors. The creators of this deck also understood that one of the key concerns of an investor is the exit mechanism of his or her investments. I love how the deck highlights a number of exit strategy options.

7. MapMe pitch deck

MapMe allows users to create universally accessible (i.e., on smartphones, tablets, and computers) maps of anywhere they want with no coding required.

This startup deck was used to raise $1 million in seed funding.

Social proof almost always works. The deck showed that the startup had over 20,000 unique visitors, 18,000 monthly alerts, and12 minutes average sessions on the site.

Favorite takeaway : The pitch deck has fewer than 13 slides but provides investors with knowledge of the traction the site got going viral on social media and its go-to-market strategy.

8. LaunchRock pitch deck

LaunchRock allows users to create landing pages and quickly get their startups known through social media, even before the launch of their full site.

Favorite takeaway : As a more creatively designed pitch deck example, this pitch deck had only 15 slides but showed how the product works and the different ways it can be used. They also utilize an analogy similar to what LinkedIn had in their decks.

9. Mixpanel pitch deck

Mixpanel is an advanced analytics platform for mobile and the web. They not only measure page views but also analyze the actions people take. This is the series-B startup pitch deck for Mixpanel that helped them raise over $65 million.

Favorite takeaway : This pitch deck example started off with a problem: people guessing their analytics. It followed up by providing its solution to that problem and, ultimately, its competitive advantage. One of the best pitch decks, this is a great example of showing the problem and solution.

10. Moz pitch deck

Moz started out as an SEO company but has pivoted to support marketers across all inbound marketing strategies.

This is the series-B startup pitch deck for Moz which they used to raise over $18 million. If you’re an established startup, this is a great example of an investor pitch deck, and you can follow this guide. The pitch deck is packed with information about the company since it was founded five years prior to this pitch.

Favorite takeaway : Because the company had already been in operation for five years, they were able to present an accurate estimated revenue, revenue run rate, average customer lifetime value, cost of paid acquisition, etc.

11. Buzzfeed pitch deck

We all have a love-and-hate relationship with Buzzfeed, don’t we? I’m sure you’ve stumbled on their pages or watched their videos before. As of today, BuzzFeed has managed to raise over $240 million in investor capital (another great example of an investor pitch deck).

Favorite takeaway : SOCIAL PROOF! It doesn’t hurt to start a pitch deck with big numbers the company has, like the millions of users visiting the website on a monthly basis and quotations from large organizations such as CNN.

12. YouTube pitch deck

YouTube was acquired by Google in 2006 for $1.6 billion. Like Facebook, this company doesn’t require any introduction. Unfortunately, this is not the original deck. This is YouTube’s pitch deck to Sequoia Capital (one of the most established VC investors who’s often regarded as one of the industry’s best), which was released through a legal proceeding.

Favorite takeaway : The company wanted to be the primary outlet for video content, and it succeeded in doing just that. It goes to show that if you know what your product can do, are able to show its potential, and build on the momentum gained through early investments to create that, then you can achieve its potential. If you’re aiming to build an investor pitch deck to land a VC like Sequoia Capital, this presentation slide deck is a great template for you!

13. Manpacks pitch deck

Manpacks is a platform that delivers men’s essentials such as underwear, razors, grooming, and other products.

The company raised $500,000 with this pitch deck.

Favorite takeaway : This deck stands out! They clearly understand who they are, and they stayed that way throughout the entire presentation. The startup pitch deck is filled with a fun tone that helps explain the product well.

14. Foursquare pitch deck

Foursquare is a mobile platform that helps you find the best places to go in your area.

Favorite takeaway : This pitch deck does a great job using screenshots of social proof that the app already has from its users sharing tweets of them being the ‘mayor’ of a particular area.

15. Flowtab pitch deck

Flowtab was an app that allowed people to order drinks quickly at a crowded bar. Despite shutting down, the founders still made an effort to help other startups.

Favorite takeaway : Simplicity. This pitch deck example does well explaining critical information like the problem, the solution, their business model, and traction. You can’t really go wrong with this pitch deck.

16. Dwolla pitch deck

Dwolla is a payment solution that allows users to send, receive, and request funds from other users. This 18-slide startup pitch deck landed the company $16.5 million.

Favorite takeaway : Most startups are founded because of a problem they faced, but not many people tell their story well through their pitch decks. In their slide deck, Dwolla shared a great story of how the founder paid $50,000 a year in credit card fees and then created a solution for never doing it again.

17. ZenPayRoll  (Now Gusto) pitch deck

Gusto (previously ZenPayroll) is a cloud-based solution tool for small businesses to pay employees.

The company raised $6 million with this pitch deck.

Favorite takeaway : This isn’t just a startup pitch deck. It is a template that you can use and replicate easily by filling in the blanks.

18. Bliss pitch deck

Bliss provides metrics for coders and allows them to collaborate easily.

The company raised over $400,000 using Angel List.

Favorite takeaway : The pitch deck was well composed with a clear understanding of the product and the investors they were pitching to. This is one of the best pitch decks to use if you know your target market.

19. Adpushup pitch deck

Adpushup allows companies to maximize ad revenues through advanced A/B testing. They raised more than $632,000 in investments.

Favorite takeaway : This slide deck proves that going back to the basics works. This pitch deck has basic principles like a great introduction, an outline of problems, potential solutions, market opportunities, products, case studies, milestones, traction, and a future plan.

20. Wealthsimple pitch deck

Wealthsimple is Canada’s first online investment manager. They raised more than $2 million in seed funding with this slide deck.

Favorite takeaway : The startup pitch deck is sweet and short but effective. Our favorite part is the transformation of the industry, which is laid out in a table format.

21. AppVirality pitch deck

AppVirality allows app developers to grow their platforms using growth method techniques proven by other startups.

Favorite takeaway : Our favorite takeaway is how the flow of the pitch deck goes through the problem, the proven solution, and how it works within their app to their target market in multiple slides.

22. Shape Integrated Software pitch deck

Shape Integrated Software is budget management software that helps PPC analysts manage various budgets across different channels.

Favorite takeaway : When you have the traction to back your startup, use it. Shape clearly took advantage of it and presented it clearly in their pitch deck.

23. Podozi pitch deck

Podozi is an online e-commerce platform based in Nigeria.

Favorite takeaway : Most startup pitch decks work well when they’re short and sweet, in multiple slides, like Podozi’s. The best takeaway is the working partnership with large brands that this platform already has.

24. Fittr pitch deck

Fittr is a platform that designs custom workouts tailored to equipment, access, time management, and goals.

Favorite takeaway : As a user of this platform, we love the investment goals and the purpose of what the company is planning to use it for.

25. Swipes pitch deck

Swipes is a task manager app to help its users increase their productivity.

Favorite takeaway : One of their pages used social proof of quotations from The Next Web and Lifehacker. You can’t go wrong with that.

26. Canvas pitch deck

Canvas replaces paper-based processes with affordable and easy-to-use mobile apps and forms. They raised $9 million with these decks.

Favorite takeaway :  Instead of saying what they do, the second slide in their pitch deck shows how their startup helps businesses. No words are needed.

27. Ooomf  (now Crew) pitch deck

Crew (formerly Ooomf & then PickCrew) is a freelancer marketplace that connects mobile and web developers with projects or work. This deck was used to raise over $2 million dollars.

Favorite takeaway : Well-designed with an easy-to-understand flow.

28. Cubeit pitch deck

Cubeit is a mobile application that allows users to aggregate content from anywhere. Cubeit used this 13-slide deck to raise seed funding before they even had a finished product.

Favorite takeaway : A strong introduction will get investors to pay attention. Their deck starts out with a clear message, which was that “owning more devices doesn’t make your life easier”. I can’t help but pay attention to how this company will help.

29.  Castle pitch deck

Castle was a startup that let rental owners put their properties on autopilot. This was the deck Castle used to raise $270,000 for their startup.

Favorite takeaway : Great design and easy to digest.

30.  Sequoia Capital pitch deck

Sequoia Capital is one of the leading investment firms in Silicon Valley. This deck is a template they recommend following.

Favorite takeaway : It’s like having the keys to the kingdom. You don’t have to guess what this investment giant is looking for. They tell you straight away.

31. Uber pitch deck

When Uber hit the scene, they fundamentally reimagined urban transportation. Their pitch deck tells this audacious story perfectly. Simple yet impactful, it illustrates the problem of expensive taxis and car services, then introduces Uber as the affordable, tech-driven solution.

They use stark data points to highlight the financial opportunity, a vital touch for potential investors.

As you create your pitch, remember Uber’s two key strengths: painting a clear problem-solution scenario and using compelling data to underscore their market potential. This strategy not only shows understanding of their market but also communicates their transformative vision effectively.

Favorite takeaway : The deck is clean and minimalist. The flow is easy to follow, and you get a clear idea of what’s the problem they’re trying to solve, and how they solve it.

32. WeWork pitch deck

WeWork’s pitch deck beautifully encapsulates its community-driven approach to shared workspaces.

They use visually appealing slides that mirror their innovative, modern brand. Their pitch deck deftly articulates the benefits of shared workspaces in today’s economy, setting the stage for their unique value proposition.

Favorite takeaway : what we do, who we do it for, why we do it; the deck walks you through their company vision with smart visuals and copy. We loved how they generated urgency by highlighting how co-working spaces were a fast-growing trend and investors could miss out on a profitable investment if they didn’t act quickly.

33. MatterMark pitch deck

MatterMark’s pitch deck is a testament to the power of storytelling. utilizing clean visuals to aid comprehension and coupled with succinct copy to keep the narrative engaging. The 30-slide deck earned the platform $6.5 million in seed A funding.

Favorite takeaway : Strong visual storytelling through the use of charts and graphs. In just a few moments, you can see where the majority of their revenue comes from compared to their other revenue streams.

Summary of Pitch Deck Template Takeaways

To sum up, a strong startup pitch deck not only serves to reinforce your brand to the target audience or investors, but shows your business plan and unique offering through the slides presented; using a problem slide, a solution slide, and a traction slide including concise bullet points. 

The best startup pitch deck also shows off your company’s personality, through the inclusion of a team slide or similar in the next few slides, to be presented after your business plan is clearly outlined.

As your company grows, you’ll probably start thinking about the next stage of growth. You can use these successful pitch decks can as the foundation to make an investor deck for your next round of financing.

Look at the takeaways from these startup pitch decks as a guide to help you in your quest to raise funds and venture capital for your own startup for an investment round.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our pitch deck examples:

• Pitch decks don’t have to be formal or beautiful.
• A great pitch deck will provide an impactful intro or slogan.
• Keep your deck short (less than 20 pages).
• Use analogies to back up the points that you’re making.

After going through so many startup pitch deck examples, we recommend that to make your pitch presentation stand out you should:

• Start with a strong intro/vision.
• Show problems and offer solutions.
• Identify market opportunities.
• Showcase products/services clearly.
• Digest your business model
• Highlight financials
• Add social proof/case studies.
• Differentiate from competition.
• Show an experienced management team.

Designing a strong pitch deck could turn your business idea into a reality after convincing investors to provide support financial support to your project.

If you’re looking for additional information, DocSend shared lessons  they got learning from 200 startups who raised $360 million from their first pitch deck.

10 Pitch Deck Templates for You to Try

The following pitch decks are free templates available in Piktochart that you can use. This makes it easy to work on your slides without having to worry about design. We took care of that for you.

If you don’t have an account yet, just sign up for a free Piktochart account here and then click on one of the templates below.

To learn how the online pitch deck creator works, watch this on-demand demo .

1. Investment Pitch Deck Template With HighSpark

2. Finance Pitch Deck Template

3. Business Pitch Deck Template

4. Startup Pitch Deck Examples

5. Tech Pitch Deck Examples

6. Business Keynote Template 

7. Product Pitch Deck Template

8. Product Pitch Deck Template

9. App Product Presentation Template

10. Product Website Pitch Deck Template

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7 Great Pitch Deck Examples From Real Businesses

11 min. read

Updated April 9, 2024

A solid pitch deck can mean the difference between landing funding and going home empty-handed.

Your deck has to convince investors that you and your business are a good bet. Otherwise, they’ll take their money elsewhere.

But what does a good pitch deck look like? Yes, there are specific slides that you should include , but including them won’t guarantee that you get funding. 

Luckily, there are hundreds of pitch decks from highly successful companies that you can look at for inspiration.

For this article, I grabbed a few favorite pitch decks and dug into why they’re so good.

• Why these pitch decks?

These pitch decks made the list because they come from highly successful startups that successfully landed one or multiple rounds of investor funding. 

They’re unique with specific strengths and formatting that go beyond your typical presentation templates. 

Some are more like a business plan presentation —incredibly long, use a lot of text, and focus more on data and financials. Others are short, highly visual, and meant to invoke specific emotions.

No matter your business stage or industry—these are all useful to explore and reference when crafting your pitch.

Get started with a free startup pitch deck template 

Don’t get held up creating your pitch deck presentation. 

Download a free investor pitch deck template with pre-built slides and instructions from experienced entrepreneurs. 

This template is yours to customize and adjust as you see fit. And remember, the 11 slides in the deck are just the standard to start with. 

1. Airbnb — Turning a pitch into a story

Airbnb’s pitch deck has become the go-to example for startups. Sure, the design is outdated, but the results speak for themselves. It is one of the most recognizable funding success stories of the 2000s, and many would say that’s because of their pitch deck. 

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Company info

• Founded: 2008
• Industry: Travel and hospitality
• Business Model: Digital marketplace
• Funding: $600,000 seed funding round in 2009
• Source: Sequoia Capital and Y Combinator

What’s great about this pitch deck?

Airbnb’s deck is simple and punchy. It gets right to the point, doesn’t overload the slides with too much information, and serves as a useful backdrop to the founder’s elevator pitch .

The deck is also fairly brief. 

It doesn’t include every slide that we recommend. Instead, they prioritize crafting a story and leaning into their strengths. 

In just a few slides Airbnb:

• Demonstrates a real-world problem and viable solution.
• Breaks down a clear path to enter the market.
• Details how they will make money and even show initial traction.

Key Takeaway: Tell a story and play to your strengths. You don’t need to get into every detail about your business during the initial pitch. The goal is to spark interest and start a conversation. Just be ready to answer any lingering questions after the fact.

2. Copper Cow Coffee — Showcasing expertise 

Copper Cow Coffee, known for its Vietnamese coffee and portable pour-over technology, has been part of multiple funding rounds (including a stint on Shark Tank). Founder Debbie Wei’s pitch deck is less concerned about proving a business concept than showing the competitive advantages of her business. 

It is a well-designed pitch deck to review if you are looking to scale and bring in additional capital.

• Founded: 2016
• Industry: Food and beverage
• Business Model: D2C, Subscription, and Wholesale
• Funding: $2 million seed round
• Source(s): Techstars, CRCM Ventures, among others

This deck does a lot with visuals. It conveys the history, innovation, and premium nature of Vietnamese-sourced coffee with virtually no text. Rather than being a distraction that investors get hung up reading, the deck is far more additive and helps punctuate specific points during the pitch.

Since this is an established business, once the unique value proposition is set, the remainder of the deck is dedicated to operational efficiency, partnerships, and revenue—areas of the business that prove Copper Cow Coffee is sustainable, has a strong competitive advantage, and has opportunities to grow. 

Key Takeaway: There’s no need to dig deep into hypotheticals when your business has enough traction to prove you’re worth investing in. If you have enticing data points, use them to sell your value to investors.

3. LinkedIn — A pitch meant for knowledgeable investors

LinkedIn often gets lumped in with other social media platforms, but its purpose and user base are unique. 

From the beginning, it was pitched as a network for professionals—where you could easily find and contact the right people in your industry. 

So, the concept and unique value were easy to understand. But how that would work and generate consistent revenue were the bigger questions. 

• Founded: 2003
• Industry: Social Media and Professional Networking
• Business Model: Freemium model with revenue from advertising, premium subscriptions, and talent solutions.
• Funding: Approximately $103 million (before going public in 2011)
• Funding Source(s): Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners, etc.

While I praised the Airbnb deck for being lean, I’m giving LinkedIn a thumbs up for the opposite. Their deck is incredibly thorough and heavy on information and data to establish the company’s position, monetization strategies, and growth details.

That doesn’t mean that they skip establishing a narrative. They just did it in only a few slides, choosing to focus on the traction and experience of their founding team. 

This makes sense when your audience of investors may actually be potential users as well. So, establishing credibility, digging into the details, and clearly defining a sustainable path for growth were necessary.  

Key Takeaway: Tailor your pitch and pitch deck to your audience. This may require you to add more details, prioritize different business areas, or pull back on specific information to let the story shine. 

4. Uber — Proving there’s a pain point

Uber is an interesting case of a business poking holes in a problem that most people just accepted. At the time, there were no real alternatives to paying for a taxi. And owners of these cab companies held a bit of a monopoly over the industry.

For Uber to succeed, it had to prove that innovation and harnessing new technologies were key. 

This makes this deck a must-review if your business has the hurdle of pushing an established industry system to evolve.

• Founded: 2009
• Industry: Transportation and Technology
• Funding: Approximately $24.5 billion (before going public in 2019)
• Funding Source(s): SoftBank, Benchmark, GV, etc.

Uber’s pitch deck painted a visceral picture of how the taxi industry was ripe for disruption in just two slides. For anyone who has had to hail a taxi, this immediately resonates.

The rest of the deck is dedicated to how they would do it. They needed to apply reality to this futuristic vision with facts, ambitious but believable financial projections, and evidence that they had traction.    

Key Takeaway: If your business is built around disruption and new technology, you must prove that people will care. Clearly and quickly outline an actual problem , present a bold vision for the future, and then back that up with tangible steps to get there. 

5. DoorDash — Proving there’s a better way 

Now synonymous with food delivery, DoorDash wasn’t actually the first to market with the mobile ordering concept. That honor goes to GrubHub. 

In this case, arriving later was a benefit. There were still obvious gaps in mobile ordering that made the technology less impactful for consumers. No dedicated delivery drivers, a lack of up-to-date restaurant information, and extensive wait times were just the minimum.

DoorDash didn’t reinvent the wheel but honed in on the new pain points that business owners and consumers complained about. And that is the crux of their pitch.

• Founded: 2013
• Industry: Food Delivery and Technology
• Business Model: Logistics platform connecting customers, restaurants, and delivery drivers, earning fees from each order.
• Funding: Approximately $2.5 billion (before going public in 2020)
• Funding Source(s): Y Combinator, Charles River Ventures, SoftBank, etc.

DoorDash’s pitch deck for Y Combinator’s demo day clearly defines a significant problem in the food delivery industry and presents its platform as a solution that benefits consumers, restaurants, and drivers alike. 

Combined with their elevator pitch, the deck effectively showcased DoorDash’s technological edge and operational efficiency. They demonstrated proven traction in an area that didn’t rely on a dense population center, further illustrating a clear vision to scale the business. 

Lastly, they left a clear opening to draw in interested investors . By proving they know the industry and have a foothold that will lead to sustained growth, they didn’t need to fully explain the opportunity. Instead, they used their demonstrated success to land direct conversations after the larger pitch.

Key Takeaway: Your deck can be a backdrop to your elevator pitch. It doesn’t have to do all the talking but should elevate your point through well-timed visuals.

6. Peloton — Connecting with customers

It’s interesting to compare Peloton’s original Kickstarter campaign to their future pitch deck. 

The consumer-facing Kickstarter spent little time establishing a narrative. Instead, it prioritized product features, visualized how it could fit in someone’s home, and showcased behind-the-scenes development. 

Their 2018 pitch deck emphasizes how Peloton makes people feel. It informs the emotional connection with a detailed audience breakdown, brand values, and multiple customer quotes. 

They wanted to prove that they had a deep understanding of their customers and had evolved as a brand. No longer just being seen as innovative exercise equipment but a recognizable brand movement.

Disclaimer: Peloton has struggled to maintain consistent growth after growing wildly successful amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hardware recalls, issues with user retention, high-profile executive exits, and a struggle to adapt to changing demands are all contributing factors. 

However, Peloton’s deck still led to funding before their initial success and is still a strong example of how to showcase an in-depth understanding of your customers when pitching.

• Founded: 2012
• Industry: Fitness and Technology
• Business Model: D2C hardware and subscription services
• Funding: Approximately $994 million (before going public in 2019)
• Funding Source(s): Tiger Global Management, True Ventures, L Catterton, etc.

Peloton strays away from the typical business overview of most pitch decks. Investors knew the product already and needed to be sold moreso on the potential long-term retention of customers. 

Peloton expertly defines its customer base beyond typical demographic and psychographic information. They string the community narrative throughout the deck, reinforcing the customer identity with every visual. You not only walk away knowing their customer base but get a sense of how they view themselves.

Key Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to diverge from the standard pitch deck structure. If you have to prove a specific point or show off a deep understanding of 1-2 business areas, craft your pitch around that instead.

7. Facebook — Let data do the talking

Facebook’s deck represents a business very different from what it is today. While social platforms like MySpace and LinkedIn were around, the scale and connectivity proposed with the platform had never been seen before.

So, the majority of the deck is dedicated to demonstrating that there is customer interest and a viable path to scaling to new customers. The business model takes a bit of a backseat, likely with the intent to flaunt how many potential people companies could engage with. 

• Founded: 2004
• Industry: Social Media and Technology
• Business Model: Advertising, with ventures into hardware sales.
• Funding: Approximately $2.3 billion (before going public in 2012)
• Funding Source(s): Accel, Greylock, Peter Thiel, and others.

Facebook’s pitch deck is a masterclass in breaking down market opportunity. They demonstrate a clear product-market fit that feeds into an ambitious but achievable path to growth.

At any point, real data can be inserted, they do it. There are no questions about the business’s growth potential because it is laid out so well. 

Key Takeaway: Use in-depth data to make your point. Any time you can punctuate your narrative with research or your own internal metrics, you will be far more convincing to potential investors.

Additional pitch deck resources 

Hopefully, this curated guide of successful pitch decks will help you determine what to focus on in your deck. 

For more guidance, check out these resources:

• Y-Combinator Startup Directory : Explore a list of 5,000+ companies funded by Y-Combinator to learn what type of businesses get early seed funding.
• PitchDeckHunt : Check out this library of over 1,000 real-world pitch deck examples for more inspiration.
• Investor Pitch Deck Template : A great starting point to develop your deck and ensure you cover all necessary information. 
• Elevator Pitch Guide : A selection of resources that will help you refine your verbal pitch, impress investors, and know how to adapt it for different scenarios.
• Our Favorite Pitch Deck Tools : If you need more than a template to create your presentation, check out this round-up of pitch creation tools.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Kody Wirth is a content writer and SEO specialist for Palo Alto Software—the creator's of Bplans and LivePlan. He has 3+ years experience covering small business topics and runs a part-time content writing service in his spare time.

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Pitch Deck VS. Business Plan: What is the Difference

• May 8, 2024

Pitch deck or a business plan—confused about which of these business documents you should create for your business?

Well, the short answer is both.

But, in a thriving startup world, where time’s a chase, knowing what will help you to make the most significant impact will make the choice easier.

Through this blog post, let’s help you understand the key differences between these two documents, i.e. pitch deck vs business plan , and instances when you will need them.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive right in.

What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a concise visual presentation, often used by startups and emerging entrepreneurs, to introduce their business potential in front of investors and potential stakeholders.

These presentations explain the key details of your plan such as the problem, solution, revenue model, traction, financials, and organizational team through engaging visuals and simple text blocks.

Pitch decks hook the audience to your excellent business idea and persuade them to engage further or take action.

Pitch decks are important for a quick business introduction. But let’s now gather a basic overview of what a business plan is.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a professional document outlining the goals, strategies, and operational aspects of your business. It serves as a guide for decision-making and offers a roadmap to achieve your business objectives.

Business plans, in general, include key components like executive summary, company overview, market analysis, products and services, marketing and sales strategy, operation plan, management team, and financial plan.

It’s one detailed document that will help you to secure funds from potential investors.

Now, that you have gathered a fair understanding of pitch decks and business plans, let’s understand what makes them different.

Difference between a pitch deck and a business plan

Pitch decks are crisp offering a macro overview of your business idea through sharp and remarkable visuals. Business plans, on the other hand, are immaculately detailed, offering a micro overview of what your business does and where it aims to reach.

Well, the differences between a business plan and a pitch deck are fundamental and we will now explore those differences in detail.

Pitch decks serve the purpose of familiarizing the audience with your business idea in a short time. They capture the audience’s attention, spark excitement about a business idea, and help you secure further discussions and meetings with potential investors.

Business plans, on the other hand, offer an in-depth detailing of your business framework, financial projections, and strategic objectives. They are required by banks to grant loans, investors to evaluate the business’s viability, and internally to guide the management and operations.

2. Length and Format

A slide deck is precise and concise. It summarizes your entire business idea within 10-15 slides, and sometimes even less.

These business documents are heavier on visual components. Instead of paragraphs, the important information is usually conveyed through crisp statements and bullet points.

Business plans, however, are extremely detailed and lengthy. While the length of a typical traditional plan varies between 20-100 pages, a startup business plan in a lean format can be as small as 1-2 pages.

These professional documents are heavier on text and include tables and charts to support the textual content. The design is kept minimal and professional and the information is organized neatly into digestible sections.

A pitch deck includes high-value information summarizing only the key aspects of your business plan. They focus more on the problem and the solution, revenue model, traction, competitive advantage, and key financial metrics of your business.

Such presentations also include your funding demand and are pretty straightforward in terms of content.

Business plans, however, provide extensive information detailing your business idea, strategies, resources, financials, and even the assumptions and justifications.

Generally, a comprehensive business plan includes an executive summary followed by a detailed description of the business, market analysis, products and services, marketing and sales strategies, operations, management, and financials.

However, one can adjust the contents and details of a business plan depending on their objective to write a business plan .

4. Audience

Pitch decks are essentially prepared to pitch to investors and venture capital firms for equity funding. However, that’s not it.

The very purpose of a business pitch deck is to educate the people about your business idea and stir their interest. So anyone who wants to acquaint themselves with the core fundamentals of your business in a short time is an ideal audience for a pitch deck.

Similarly, a business plan is also intended for a vast audience, including but not limited to, loan officers, investors, stakeholders, and the company’s internal team.

In fact, anyone who wants to have a deep, thorough insight into your business’s strategies, policies, operations, and finances can benefit from reading your business plan.

And those are the most fundamental differences between a pitch deck presentation and a business plan. However, let’s now understand different instances when you will require these business documents.

When to use a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck offers a snapshot of your business and is most suitable for situations, events, and audiences that prefer to gather a level of information within a short span.

Here are a few instances where you would definitely require a business pitch deck:

• When you want to introduce your startup idea at investor meet-ups, networking events, and accelerator programs.
• When you want to get initial equity funding from investors and VC firms.
• When you want to secure an in-person meeting with an investor.

However, for all this to happen, you need a pitch deck that brilliantly captures the key essence of your business.

Well, it’s not that easy. From design to content—it takes a lot to create a 10-page, compelling pitch deck.

You must have figured out that creating a pitch deck is challenging given the crispness, conciseness, and briefness it requires.

Not anymore. You can now use AI to create your strategic pitch decks from scratch, requiring zero designing.

 Ditch your old-school pitch deck creation methods

Make compelling pitch decks in minutes with AI

When to use a Business Plan?

A well-mapped business plan is an asset that will take your business to quite a few places helping you realize your business goals. If you are wondering where will you require a business plan, here you go:

• When you want significant funding from potential investors.
• When you want to validate your business idea.
• When you want to plan for subsequent business stages that require a strategic roadmap.
• When you want to explain your complex business model.

Now, a business plan can only help achieve all those things when it offers a true and realistic overview of your business and its strategies.

Absolutely, it’s a difficult task. But with the right tools and aid, you can create a realistic plan that offers a roadmap to success for your business.

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What to Write First—Business Plan or Pitch Deck

Ideally, a business plan should be drafted before creating a pitch deck.

The business plan demands thorough analysis and research. Writing it first will encourage you to explore the business nuances in detail.

You are more in sync with your business idea and its strategies by the time you are done writing your business plan. Such understanding is essential to creating a pitch deck that reflects your startup’s potential in a true light.

A Way Forward

It’s evident that you need both—a business plan and a pitch deck, to venture successfully into your market. Instead of contemplating, let’s make business planning easier for you.

Upmetrics offers a range of AI-powered solutions for all your business and strategic planning needs.

Whether you need an AI business plan generator to create a thorough business plan or AI pitch deck generator for a compelling pitch deck—Upmetrics has got you covered.

No need to spend any more time worrying about where and how to get started. Our perfectly designed solutions will guide you to create stellar business documents in no time.

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with step-by-step Guidance & AI Assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a pitch similar to a business plan.

Not really. Business plans are textual offering a detailed overview of your business idea. Pitch decks, however, are concise and visual. It can be said that pitch decks are a byproduct of business plans. However, they are not the same.

When should you use a business plan?

Business plans should be used when you want to obtain financing from traditional banks. However, even angel investors would ask for a business plan when the funding demand is substantial. Apart from this, you use a business plan for strategic planning and internal guidance.

When should you use a pitch deck?

Pitch decks should be used to introduce your business idea to different audiences. It is extensively used to pitch potential investors and persuade them for financing.

Do I need a pitch deck or a business plan?

A business requires both a pitch deck and a business plan. It is preferable to write a business plan first before creating a pitch deck to capture the essence of your business effectively.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How to Effectively Pitch a Business Idea

• 27 Aug 2020

You’ve identified an underserved need and validated your startup idea . Now it’s time to talk about your business to potential investors. Yet, how do you effectively communicate your idea’s promise and possible impact on the market?

Pitching a business idea is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of any entrepreneur’s journey. It’s what stands in the way between your vision and the financing needed to turn it into a reality. Although daunting, there are steps you can take to ensure a greater chance of success.

Access your free e-book today.

What Makes a Great Pitch?

To make a successful pitch, entrepreneurs must exhibit several characteristics to convince investors to fund their innovative ideas .

Every entrepreneur needs an intricate understanding of their idea, target market, growth strategy, product-market fit , and overall business model . This differentiates your business concept and solidifies the steps needed to make it a reality. The perfect pitch shows investors your proof of concept and instills confidence that they can expect a return on investment .

Another crucial component of a successful pitch is understanding the venture capital (VC) ecosystem.

“It’s critical for entrepreneurs to understand the background and motivations of venture capitalists so when entrepreneurs seek them out to help fund their venture, they know what to prioritize in a firm and how to build a strong, trusting relationship,” says Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Jeffrey Bussgang in the online course Launching Tech Ventures .

To secure funding and support, here are essential steps to ensure your pitch is effective.

How to Pitch a Business Idea

1. know who you’re pitching.

Some entrepreneurs try to get in front of every investor, despite their industry expertise or firm’s investment stage. Consider that, when you accept an investment, it’s about more than money; you enter a partnership. You must perform your due diligence and research potential investors before making your pitch.

When researching, ask yourself:

What industries do they invest in?

A VC firm’s industry focus depends on what the partners’ niche is and where their passions lie. Some firms specialize in a particular sector, such as financial technology (fintech) or education technology (edtech).

For example, Rethink Education is a venture capital fund that invests in early- and growth-stage edtech startups, while Blockchain Capital is dedicated to financing companies innovating in the crypto market. Others are generalists and span several industries.

Knowing the types of companies the firm invests in can help you tailor your pitch and zero in on their presumed priorities.

What stage do they invest in?

If you’re in the earliest stages of business development, you won’t receive growth equity, which is reserved for mature companies that need capital to expand operations, enter a new market, or acquire another business. Before making your pitch, have a rough estimate of the money and resources you need to launch, and then align yourself with investors who can help at that particular stage.

What’s the investor’s track record?

Dig deeper into the investor’s experience and investment history to determine the types of companies they typically finance, the background knowledge they might already have, and whether your personalities will mesh. This information will enable you to modify your pitch and determine if this is the right person or fund to partner with.

“The best venture capitalists become trusted partners and advisors to the founders and team,” says HBS Professor William Sahlman in the online course Entrepreneurship Essentials . “They help recruit key employees. They introduce the company to potential customers. They help raise subsequent rounds of capital. In some cases, they signal that the firm they've backed is a winner, which helps make that assertion true.”

Given the benefits and high stakes, the more you know going into a pitch, the better.

2. Consider How You Present Yourself, Not Simply Your Idea

Although your ideas and skills matter , your personality is equally as important. According to research published in the Harvard Business Review , venture capitalists’ interest in a startup “was driven less by judgments that the founder was competent than by perceptions about character and trustworthiness.”

Investors also want to know they’re entering a partnership with the right people. Jennifer Fonstad, co-founder of Aspect Ventures , acknowledges in Entrepreneurship Essentials that her investment firm “thinks about team and team dynamics as being very critical.”

Investors want to know whether the founders have worked together before, if your startup’s early hires have complementary skill sets, and whether you’ll be flexible, open-minded, and willing to embrace different perspectives.

Think about this as you prepare your pitch. If investors poke holes in your idea, will you get defensive? When they ask for financial projections, will you exaggerate the numbers? Hopefully, your answers are “no”—firms want to partner with founders they can trust who are open to guidance and mentorship—but if you’re second-guessing your reactions, consider what you might be asked and practice your responses.

As Sahlman reinforces in Entrepreneurship Essentials : “Most experienced investors look at the people first and the opportunity second. Even when a team is young and inexperienced, an investor depends on them to make the right decisions.”

3. Tell a Story

When describing your business idea, zero in on the problem you address for your target audience and how you solve it better than the competition. You could do this by presenting a real-life scenario in which you describe the pain point a current or prospective customer faced and how your product or service fixed the issue. This can help engage investors on a personal level and inspire them to see your idea’s potential.

By complementing your spreadsheets and charts with a compelling story, you can paint a fuller picture of your startup’s future and more effectively highlight its business opportunity.

4. Cover the Details

While it’s important to set the stage, you also need to cover the specifics. In your pitch deck, concisely define your value proposition and share a memorable tagline for investors to leave the meeting with.

According to Bussgang in Launching Tech Ventures , every pitch to an investor should contain the following:

• Intro: Focus on answering important questions like who you are, why you’re asking for funding, and what your founder-market fit is.
• Problem: Talk about your ideal customer’s pain point and how you plan to solve it.
• Solution: Explain how your idea is a compelling solution and why it’s better than existing solutions.
• Opportunity and Market Size: Provide your total addressable market (TAM), serviceable addressable market (SAM), and serviceable obtainable market (SOM) through research.
• Competitive Analysis: Understand your unique differences in the market that can help you sustain a competitive advantage.
• Go-to-Market Plan: Clarify how you’re going to reach your customers.
• Business Model: Describe how you’re going to make money.
• Financials: Define what your financial projections are and how you’re going to provide returns for investors.
• The Ask: Detail how much funding you need, how long it will last, and what milestones you hope to achieve.

“VCs will expect entrepreneurs to clearly define the milestones they need to achieve with each round of funding,” Bussgang continues. “Entrepreneurs should know what experiments they will run to reach these milestones and what they expect the results will be.”

5. Show the Roadmap

Although you’re in your business’s early stages, investors want to know how they’ll cash out in the end.

“To truly understand the motivations behind VC firms, remember that they are professional investors,” Bussgang explains in Launching Tech Ventures . “Their objective is to generate the maximum return for their limited partners with a dual fiduciary duty to their investors and the company.”

To clinch your pitch, highlight your exit strategy and the options available.

The most common exit strategies include:

• Acquisition: When one company buys most or all of another company’s shares to gain control of it
• Merger: When two existing companies unite into one new company
• Initial Public Offering (IPO): When a private company issues its first sale of stocks to the public and can start raising capital from public investors

Related: What Are Mergers & Acquisitions? 4 Key Risks

3 Kinds of Pitches for Entrepreneurs

While all effective pitches share foundational elements, you should use different types depending on the scenario. To increase your chances of success, tailor your pitch to your audience and the available time frame.

1. The Elevator Pitch

This is one of the most popular pitches. Use this when you need to communicate their startup’s value in 60 seconds or less.

An effective elevator pitch should be concise, convincing, and convey your startup’s value proposition and differentiators. For tech business ideas, mention the innovative technology that sets your concept apart. At the end, include a call to action, such as the amount of capital required to launch.

2. The Short-Form Pitch

You should portray your business idea’s value to prospective clients and investors as efficiently as possible. This means summarizing the most important elements of your idea in a way that makes them want to hear more. Highlight the market size, how you’ll create barriers for competition, your plan to monetize the business, and how much financing you need.

Short-form pitches can run from three to 10 minutes; if you’re pitching in a competitive setting, note any length requirements. These shorter pitches can pique investors’ interest and earn you the chance to present a long-form pitch.

3. The Long-Form Pitch

Sometimes, you’re fortunate enough to have more than a few minutes to pitch your idea. If this opportunity presents itself, it’s crucial to make the most of your time and address every aspect of your business plan.

“You’re not just trying to start any business,” Bussgang says in Launching Tech Ventures . “You’re trying to create a business that’s profitable, sustainable, and valuable.

Zero in on your story and share a real-life scenario. Detail the market size to illustrate demand and clear examples of how you’ll attract and retain customers, particularly in light of competitors. This will show you’re planning for—and ahead of—future challenges.

You should also have a blueprint for testing product-market fit and early results, along with a detailed monetization plan. Lastly, share your exit strategy and the amount of capital needed to, one day, achieve it. Your long-form pitch should communicate your business concept clearly and concisely, open the possibility for follow-up questions, and capture the investors’ interest.

Consider preparing all three pitch lengths to be ready for any opportunity. It’s important to stay agile so you can modify your pitch to fit specific length requirements.

Landing the Pitch

Every investor prioritizes different data and information. Yet, if you start by choosing the right investor and then align their needs with your proposed market opportunity, value proposition, and exit strategy, you have a chance at landing the pitch.

“In some ways, startup success depends just as much on whether your hypothesis about the future is right, as it does on whether your idea is a good one,” Bussgang explains in Launching Tech Ventures .

As a result, it’s important for you to do your due diligence before pitching your business idea to investors.

If you’re interested in learning more about what investors look for and how you can create value, explore Entrepreneurship Essentials and Launching Tech Ventures , two of our entrepreneurship and innovation courses . Not sure which is the right fit? Download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

This post was updated on July 28, 2023. It was originally published on August 27, 2020.

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Blog Business 10 Business Pitch Examples for Your Next Client Meeting

10 Business Pitch Examples for Your Next Client Meeting

Written by: Letícia Fonseca Oct 30, 2023

We tell presenters that it’s okay to feel scared during your upcoming sales pitch because investors will always be a pressing and intimidating bunch.

Great elevator pitches are similar to memorable stories. They intertwine visuals and narrative to keep the audience engaged. And it needs to be completed in the duration of an elevator ride.

In this guide, we share 10 business pitch examples you’ll want to use in your next investor or client meeting.

You don’t need design experience to create a business or sales pitch. Create an engaging presentation in just minutes with Venngage’s professionally designed pitch deck templates !

What is a business pitch?

A business pitch is a concise and compelling presentation that is delivered to potential investors, clients or partners to communicate the value proposition of a business idea , product or service.

The main goal of a business pitch is to persuade the audience to take a particular action, such as investing in the business, partnering with the company or purchasing the product or service.

When creating a business pitch, always remember that a well-crafted business pitch should be clear, concise and tailored to the specific needs and interests of the target audience. It should effectively communicate the value proposition and potential of the business idea, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

To help smoothen the process for you, I’ve curated 10 business pitch deck examples you can use for your next client meeting. Keep scrolling to find out!

10 business pitch examples you can use:

Choose a simple and short elevator pitch template, guy kawasaki elevator pitch examples for business, modern pitch deck example, effective startup elevator pitch examples.

• Business idea pitch deck

Dark marketing pitch deck

Classic airbnb pitch deck.

• Statement yellow elevator pitch example
• Short franchise elevator pitch example

Nonprofit pitch deck

Your elevator pitch needs to address the biggest business concern: the sales funnel .

This simple pitch deck example gets to the heart of the business problem within just 12 slides. It’s short, sharp and to the point, enough to keep prospective clients interested.

This is a great sales pitch deck template to accompany a brief presentation. You can easily share your business model with investors or clients.

Customize this template by adding your branding and business information. Include data about your target audience and team members. This is information that potential investors need to know.

With a Venngage business account, you can access the My Brand Kit feature, including the Autobrand tool.

Add your website when prompted and the editor will import your logos, fonts and brand colors . You’ll be able to add your branding to all your designs with a single click.

Related:  How to Create an Effective Pitch Deck Design [+Examples]

The Guy Kawasaki method for elevator pitch templates has been successful for numerous businesses. The minimal text keeps investors focused during the entire pitch.

Presenters can fully concentrate on sharing the key metrics and pain points of their target market. The pitch deck includes overviews that guide investors’ thoughts.

Venngage has two versions of the conventional Guy Kawasaki elevator pitch format. This gradient version is a bit more modern. It certainly draws the eye without overwhelming the design.

The template’s simple and minimalist-inspired design makes it easy to customize for any brand completely. You can swap out the gradient panels and add brand-relevant product images instead.

You can also use this non-gradient pitch deck template. This is an ideal way to highlight your brand colors.

Make the easily customizable pitch deck examples shared above your own by adding your text, data and graphs.

Creating a pitch deck  just got easier. Venngage’s real-time collaboration  allows multiple members to work on a design at once. Share instant feedback and design a winning sales pitch.

This unconventional pitch deck uses icons to tell a compelling narrative. Visuals can spice up presentation decks and give make them aesthetically pleasing.

This template works well for startups and small businesses demonstrating to investors their brand’s potential.

If the deck is too dark, you can switch out the panel colors and icons. Add your own research to make your sales pitch convincing.

Related:  Everything You Need to Know About Picking and Using Brand Colors

Elevator pitch decks focus on quick, one-minute proposals to convince potential investors that you have something valuable.

This investor pitch deck example is excellent for a startup elevator pitch. With just five slides, this deck makes it easy to breeze through your business model.

The added charts make the proposal and presentation much more convincing. You can share the necessary details that investors will want to know about.

Import your data from Google sheets into the Venngage editor and easily create charts for your presentation.

Related:  Everything You Need to Know About Pie Charts

Business idea pitch deck

How do you highlight your business model to a potential customer? You start with your value proposition.

The below pitch deck example opens with the business’ value proposition in the first slide. It also includes many elegant ways to showcase the brand. Plus, it provides essential business data to investors simultaneously.

You can use the business idea pitch deck template above as a guideline for a good sales pitch of your own or modify and adjust it to your branding needs.

The marketing pitch deck example below has a dark but unique personality. It works well in a product launch setting or as an elevator pitch deck for marketers.

The color combination is unusual but striking. Not to mention, on-trend. Bold colors are one of the resurgent graphic design trends  of the past few years.

You can use the above marketing pitch deck example as inspiration for numerous business presentations.

Art and multimedia businesses can also use it as a template for client presentations.

Related:  20+ Business Pitch Deck Templates to Win New Clients and Investors

We all know what Airbnb is and how much the business has grown over the past few years.

One of the best pitch deck examples you’ll see is Venngage’s version of the Airbnb pitch deck.

It uses sample data, addresses the core customer problem and outlines the business plan to capture the audience’s attention.

The pitch deck example above is one of the standard elevator pitch decks but manages to be sophisticated. There’s a finesse to this pitch deck design . That’s why it was so successful.

Statement yellow elevator pitch example

The yellow motif of this artistic pitch deck will immediately hold the audience’s attention.

The color is bright and bold but isn’t overpowering. Instead, only two slides use the background color across the whole slide.

The majority of the slides only include hints of yellow or use it as a highlight.

This template works for companies that use one prominent color across their branding. It’s also a professional pitch deck for small businesses, startups, or software companies.

Short franchise elevator pitch example

Pitch decks don’t depend on length to make a point. Instead, it uses fewer headers as overviews and depends on presenters to share pitch details with investors.

This is one of the best pitch deck examples for a short and classy presentation. It uses a small number of icons and bullet points to draw the eye and keep the presentation flowing.

As an elevator pitch, this is an effective method for maintaining the audience’s focus.

Related:  A Complete Guide to Line Charts

This elevator pitch example for nonprofits uses minimalism and icons to keep potential investors engaged throughout the presentation.

The subtle use of color and icons asserts the brand’s personality. This template can work for businesses in the graphic design sector.

Alternatively, the nonprofit pitch deck example above can also work for digital marketing agencies that want a cutting-edge appeal to make themselves attractive to clients.

Famous sales pitch decks to inspire your pitch

Minimalist airbnb pitch deck.

This minimalist design of the Airbnb elevator pitch example shared above is perfect for startups.

You can easily add product or location photos and adjust the colors to suit your branding, alongside your logo and fonts.

Buffer pitch deck

The real Buffer pitch deck was confusing for investors. You can read more about it in our round-up of the best pitch decks .

Venngage designed a cleaner version using icons and charts. This makes the information easier to understand. You aren’t bombarding your audience with too many details.

Facebook pitch deck

The winning Facebook pitch deck was text-heavy. But what made it stand out was how many popular schools had already signed up with it.

Plus, the deck was nothing short of ambitious, with a clear expansion plan. It is no surprise that Facebook is the behemoth it is today.

How to write a business pitch deck

Creating a compelling business pitch deck is essential for effectively conveying your business idea to potential investors or partners. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you write a business pitch deck:

• Cover slide: Include the name of your company and a visually appealing image that represents your business.
• Problem statement: Clearly define the problem your product or service solves. Use statistics or real-life examples to emphasize the significance of the problem.
• Solution: Describe your product or service and how it addresses the identified problem. Use visuals, such as product images or diagrams, to help illustrate your solution.
• Market opportunity: Present market research data to showcase the size, growth potential and trends of the target market. Use graphs, charts, or infographics to make the information more engaging.
• Business model: Explain how your business will generate revenue. Describe your pricing strategy, sales and distribution channels and any key partnerships or collaborations that will contribute to your business model’s success.
• Traction and milestones: Highlight any significant achievements, milestones, or partnerships that demonstrate the progress and potential of your business. This can include user metrics, revenue growth, or notable endorsements.
• Competitive analysis: Analyze your competitors and illustrate how your product or service stands out in the market. Highlight your unique selling points and any barriers to entry that provide your business with a competitive advantage.
• Go-to-market strategy : Outline your marketing and sales plan. Describe how you will reach and acquire customers, including your marketing channels, customer acquisition strategy and sales approach.
• Financial projections: Present your financial forecasts, including revenue projections, cost structures and expected profitability. Use charts or graphs to display key financial data and assumptions.
• Team: Introduce your team members and highlight their relevant expertise and experience. Emphasize how the team’s skills and strengths contribute to the success of the business.
• Use of funds: Explain how you plan to use the funds you are seeking. Provide a breakdown of how the investment will be allocated across different aspects of the business.
• Conclusion and call-to-action: Summarize the key points of your pitch and clearly state what action you want the investors to take. Encourage questions and provide your contact information for further discussions.

Remember to keep your pitch deck concise, visually appealing and easy to understand. Use high-quality visuals and compelling storytelling to make your business pitch deck engaging and memorable for your audience.

Four tips for creating a great elevator pitch

Here are four easy ways to recreate the pitch deck examples above or build your own pitch from a template.

Create a visual style for your sales pitches

A visual style or theme creates flow and sophistication in any presentation. These involve using recurring elements in a subtle and obvious manner.

For example, this Venngage template uses our color gradient along with elegant and bright icons.

Choose visual elements whose characteristics become the pitch deck’s focal point. Great pitch decks use the brand’s colors and visual motifs to keep the brand top of mind.

Give an overview of your business model

Pitch decks act as content anchors that guide your client toward your topic’s main points.

All the other information in your pitch deck or the explanations in your presentation will be aimed at supplementing that data.

Like this Uber elevator pitch template that emphasizes customer pain points and how the business will solve them.

Examples of added data include situational examples, charts and graphs and case studies .

Focus on your unique proposition

Your pitch deck has a central idea that is its unique selling proposition. Pitch deck creators build their pitch ideas around this aspect.

As a result, they’ll have a solid, communicative and persuading pitch deck that convinces investors.

Simplify hard concepts in your sales pitch

Scientific knowledge is enriching to those who understand its meaning.

Hard concepts, long-running and poorly constructed sentences and jargon make reading challenging for investors who have a very short time to spare.

This deck ensures that information isn’t overwhelming, either in the overview or the traction slide.

Make sure to simplify hard concepts and use simple words. That’s what the best pitch decks do.

Use templates to create successful pitch decks and win over investors

Delivering a good elevator pitch can be overwhelming. The pressure to get the tone right and impress investors is huge.

We’ve shared 10 elevator pitch examples that you can use as inspiration.

And with Venngage’s pitch deck templates, you get a competitive advantage. With no design experience, you can create elevator pitches that win over investors.

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35+ Best Pitch Deck Examples from Successful Startups (2024 Update with Editable Templates Included)

There’s no single recipe for creating a successful investor pitch deck. Many authors, venture capitalists, startup founders, and evangelists have created different versions of the required content structure for successfully pitching investors. The reality is that different industries, company stages, and round sizes require slightly different approaches to business storytelling.

We’ve compiled a list of the 35 best pitch deck examples from successful startups, accelerator programs, and industry experts (updated to 2024), in the hope that it helps you craft your next investor presentation.

Quick access to our best templates:

• Airbnb Pitch Deck ‍
• The Startup Pitch Deck Template ‍
• Investor Deck Template by 500 Startups ‍
• Investment Proposal ‍
• Uber Pitch Deck ‍
• Business Plan Template ‍ ‍
• Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck ‍
• Doordash Pitch Deck ‍
• Facebook Pitch Deck
• ‍ Ycombinator Pitch Deck Template ‍
• Guy Kawasaki Pitch Deck Template ‍
• Youtube Pitch Deck ‍
• Slidebean Pitch Deck
• ‍ Peloton Pitch Deck
• Go To Market Strategy Template
• Elevator Pitch Deck Template
• Tinder Pitch Deck Template ‍
• WeWork Pitch Deck Template
• Snapchat Pitch Deck Template
• Linkedin Pitch Deck Template
• Lunchbox Pitch Deck Template
• Buffer Pitch Deck
• Cannabis Pitch Deck Template
• Aircall Pitch Deck
• Intercom Pitch Deck Template
• Cryptocurrency Pitch Deck Template
• Copy AI Pitch Deck Template
• Splitwise Pitch Deck Template
• 3 Minute Pitch Deck for Demo Day Template
• Sparkcharge Pitch Deck
• Dwolla Pitch Deck Template
• Evervault Pitch Deck Template
• Vettery Pitch Deck Template
• Dutchie Pitch Deck Template
• Sololearn Pitch Deck Template

100+ pitch deck templates here

These are our best 35+ startup pitch decks:, 1. airbnb pitch deck template.

The Airbnb Pitch Deck is one of the most searched references on the internet, probably because it’s a company so familiar to us all. This is a classic 10-slide Investor Deck template that many startups find useful to fit their startup into. We’ve reimagined the original deck and created our fill-in-the-blank template.

• Industry: Travel, Hospitality, Technology
• Business Model: Online marketplace for lodging and travel experiences
• Amount Raised: $500K Angel Round
• Location: San Francisco, California, USA
• Website: airbnb.com

USE AIRBNB TEMPLATE

2. the startup pitch deck template.

What you should include in your pitch deck is a question that entrepreneurs have been asking themselves for years. The template we created, distilled from benchmarking dozens of venture-backed startups, takes this into account so all users will have more clarity on where their strengths are!

USE STARTUP PITCH DECK TEMPLATE

3. investor deck template by 500 startups.

500 Startups is a leading global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator headquartered in Silicon Valley with over $350M AUM.

This investor deck template is ideal for initial VCs and Angel Investors. If they ask to see your pitch deck , this is what you want to send.

The outline of the investor deck mainly focuses on your startup's growth metrics and traction.

• Industry: Capital market company
• Website: 500.co

USE INVESTOR DECK TEMPLATE

4. investment proposal template by nextview ventures.

An investment proposal is the driving tool during a meeting with potential investors. This investor deck contains all the information they require. It was created based on the NextView Ventures template.

• Industry: Venture Capital company
• Location: New York, New York, USA
• Website: nextview.vc

USE INVESTMENT TEMPLATE

5. uber pitch deck template.

For the ninth anniversary of the founding of Uber, it's co-founder Garret Camp shared the first slides they created in late 2008. At the beginning, Uber was originally called UberCab, and it has evolved from a simple idea into a major platform that has improved the car service industry.

• Industry: Transportation, Technology
• Business Model: Ride-sharing and food delivery platform
• Amount Raised: $1.3 million
• Website: uber.com

Here you have Uber's 25 slide deck! There's a lot to be learned from their first ever pitch:

USE UBER TEMPLATE

6. business plan template.

The Business Plan is a crucial step in starting your own business because it represents the goals you want to achieve and outlines how they will be accomplished.

USE BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE

7. sequoia capital pitch deck.

Since Sequoia Capital has quite a reputation for investments, taking a page out of their book makes sense. The slides included in the Sequoia Capital Pitch Deck Template each have a specific purpose that leads them down the path of discovery into your pitch

• Website: sequoiacap.com

Related read : What is a pitch deck presentation

USE SEQUOIA TEMPLATE

8. doordash pitch deck template.

DoorDash is one of the most well-known food delivery companies in the United States right now. The Doordash investor deck is an excellent example of a pitch using traction to back up your business.  

• Industry: Food Delivery, Technology
• Business Model: On-demand food delivery platform
• Amount Raised: $2.4 million
• Website: doordash.com

USE DOORDASH TEMPLATE

9. facebook pitch deck template.

Facebook’s original pitch deck was a media kit containing the company’s value proposition, key metrics, and Online Marketing Services .

At that time, the company wasn’t making any money from The Facebook, so they bet on solid numbers such as user engagement, customer base, and growth metrics.

• Industry: Social Media, Technology
• Business Model: Social networking and advertising platform
• Location: Menlo Park, California, USA
• Website: facebook.com

USE FACEBOOK TEMPLATE

10. ycombinator pitch deck template.

YCombinator came out with a pitch deck template that's not aesthetically pleasing. We get it. They wanted to give you the “blank canvas” so your company branding could shine, but maybe they went too far. In any case, we've taken matters into our own hands and made some style changes for better aesthetics and more functionality. We hope this helps.

• Industry: Startup accelerator company
• Location: Mountain View, California, USA
• Website: ycombinator.com

USE YCOMBINATOR TEMPLATE

11. guy kawasaki pitch deck template.

Guy Kawasaki is a well-known Silicon Valley startup guru. He is the author of several books and was one of the original Apple employees. His 10 pitch deck slides have inspired many, and his 20-minute presentation format will help you get your point across efficiently.

USE GUY KAWASAKI TEMPLATE

12. youtube pitch deck template.

Youtube’s pitch deck was used in 2005 when it had less than 10,000 users. It was actually quite straightforward. They used an elementary version of a 10 slide pitch deck to go up in front of Sequoia Capital for fundraising. Still, the company was able to raise $3.5M in that Series A round November of that year. This cost around 30% of the stakes in the company.

• Industry: Video Streaming, Music, Internet
• Business Model: Ad revenue and user subscriptions.
• Amount Raised: $3.5 million Series A
• Location: San Bruno, California, USA
• Website: youtube.com

USE YOUTUBE TEMPLATE

‍ 13. slidebean pitch deck.

Our slide deck at the 500 Startups demo day was the culmination of 2 startup accelerator processes, hours of rehearsal, and dozens of adjustments thanks to feedback from our mentors. Pitching at a Demo Day event differs from pitching to an investor in a one-on-one meeting.

• Industry: Software, Design, Productivity
• Business Model: Presentation software with design support
• Location: New York City, New York, USA
• Website: slidebean.com

‍ USE SLIDEBEAN TEMPLATE

14. peloton pitch deck template.

Peloton broke the fitness industry with its stationary bike system, which connects users and trainers via the internet. Do you have a business idea for this industry in mind? We recreated the pitch deck Peloton used to raise their Series F.

• Industry: Fitness, Technology
• Business Model: Subscription-based connected fitness platform
• Amount raised: $500 million Series F
• Website: onepeloton.com  

USE PELOTON TEMPLATE

15. go to market strategy template.

The go-to-market strategy is a presentation that details how an organization will place its products in the market to reach maximum penetration and profitability. What is your go-to-market strategy? This template will help you summarize it engagingly!

USE GO TO MARKET TEMPLATE

16. elevator pitch deck template.

This is an elevator pitch deck template designed for initial approaches to investors. Share this template when they ask for your elevator pitch deck. With this template, you can effectively communicate your value proposition, market opportunity, key achievements, and financial projections, aiming to get the investors' curiosity and interest for further discussions.

Use this template

17. tinder pitch deck template.

10 billion matches later, Tinder has changed how people meet around the world. It’s so much more than a dating app. Tinder is a powerful tool for meeting people. Here’s the deck Tinder used in the IAC Hatch Labs Incubator in 2012.

• Industry: Social Media, Dating App
• Business Model: Subscription service, ad revenue
• Amount Raised: Approximately $50 million in total funding
• Location: West Hollywood, California, USA

18. WeWork Pitch Deck Template

WeWork fuels entrepreneurial spirit and corporate success with powerful real estate solutions. Founded in 2010, it has since blossomed into a buzzing global community transforming the way companies do business by providing physical spaces that nurture productivity, well-being, efficiency and growth - all backed up by an impressive $1 billion funding valuation of $10 billion!

• Industry: Real Estate, Coworking, Proptech
• Business Model: Office space rental
• Amount Raised: $42.8 million Series E
• Website: wework.com

GET THIS TEMPLATE

19. snapchat pitch deck template.

The Snapchat Pitch Deck Template helps you create a persuasive presentation inspired by Snapchat's successful pitch to investors. It offers visually engaging slides and a structured format for showcasing your business idea, growth plans, and revenue strategy.

• Industry: Social Media, Messaging, Technology
• Business Model: Photo-based social media
• Amount Raised: Approximately $4.9 billion in total funding
• Location: Venice, California, USA

20. Linkedin Pitch Deck

LinkedIn has skyrocketed to success, becoming the world's largest professional social networking site with a vast population of users growing daily. Reid Hoffman later publicly released his Series B pitch deck, which included advice on how it should be constructed so that other aspiring entrepreneurs would also have insight.

• Industry: Social Media, Networking, Technology
• Business Model: Professional networking site
• Amount Raised: $10 million Series B
• Location: Sunnyvale, California, USA
• Website: linkedin.com

Get this template

21. lunchbox pitch deck template.

With a mission to empower restaurants to compete in an increasingly tech-driven market, Try our Pitch Deck Template inspired by the one they used to raise $2 million in its seed round.

• Industry: Restaurants, Management Software
• Business Model: B2B Restaurant platform
• Amount Raised: $2 million Seed Round
• Website: lunchbox.io

22. Buffer Pitch Deck Template

This is the presentation deck Buffer used to raise $500,000 for their startup, as redesigned by Slidebean. The highlight of this deck is the traction slide, which the founders describe as the critical one for their success.

• Business Model: Social media management platform
• Amount Raised: $500K
• Website: buffer.com

USE BUFFER TEMPLATE

23. cannabis investor pitch deck template.

Leverage our Cannabis Investor Pitch, influenced by the CannaBusinessPlans deck, to effectively showcase the distinctive attributes and growth potential of your cannabis business. Utilize this tailored presentation as a powerful tool to attract essential funding from potential investors

24. Aircall Pitch Deck

A well-designed pitch deck can help an entrepreneur communicate their story in a clear and concise way and can be a key tool in securing funding. However, designing a pitch deck can be a challenge, as it requires distilling complex information into bite-sized chunks and conveying it in an engaging way. That's why we decided to redesign Aircall's pitch deck as an example. We wanted to show how a pitch deck can be both informative and visually appealing.

• Industry: Telecommunications, Technology
• Business Model: Cloud-based phone system and call center software
• Amount Raised: $65 million
• Location: Paris, France, and New York City, USA
• Website: aircall.io

Here's the result from our design challenge:

Use Aircall Template

25. intercom pitch deck template.

The Intercom Pitch Deck Template is your key to crafting a compelling pitch presentation, modeled after Intercom's own successful pitch.

It's your tool to create a persuasive presentation that mirrors Intercom's winning pitch style. This template empowers you to clearly communicate your business vision, product strategy, and growth prospects to potential investors.

• Industry: CRM, Marketing, Automation
• Business Model: B2B SaaS
• Amount Raised: $600K
• Website: intercom.com

26. Cryptocurrency Pitch Deck Template

A cryptocurrency pitch deck is a dynamic presentation outlining the unique attributes of a digital currency project. It showcases use cases, team expertise, and financial projections to attract funding and build investor confidence.

27. Copy AI Pitch Deck Template

Copy.ai offers the convenience of composing emails, website content, and heartfelt love letters. Here's the pitch deck that convinced investors like Wing, Sequoia, and Tiger Global to contribute $11 million in funding.

• Industry: SAI, Copywriting, Automation
• Business Model: SaaS
• Amount Raised: $11 Series A
• Location: Memphis, Tennesee, USA
• Website: copy.ai

28. Splitwise Pitch Deck Template

Splitwise makes it super easy to divvy up bills and expenses among friends or groups with their simple app. Check out our Pitch Deck Template, inspired by Splitwise's $20 million Series A round, to show investors what you're all about and kickstart your journey to success.

• Industry: FinTech, Billing, Personal Finance
• Business Model: Ad revenue, subscription service
• Amount Raised: $20 million Series A
• Location: Providence, Rhode Island, USA
• Website: splitwise.com

29. 3 Minute Pitch Deck for Demo Day Template

Demo days pack together dozens of pitch decks from wildly different companies. Communicating your value prop effectively and concisely is key. This template provides the structure to accomplish pitching your startup in under 3 minutes.

Use 3 Minute Pitch Deck

30. sparkcharge pitch deck.

Sparcharge is a startup that raised $7 million in seed funding, and Slidebean was responsible for writing and designing their pitch deck. The deck was very successful in conveying the company's value proposition and vision, and it helped them to secure funding from top venture capitalists. The design of the deck was clean and professional, and it made use of strong visuals to help tell the company's story. The slides were also easy to navigate, which made it easy for investors to understand the information presented. Overall, the pitch deck was an important part of Sparcharge's success in raising funding , and it served as a great example of the power of a well-designed presentation.

• Industry: Automotive, Energy, Technology
• Business Model: Electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• Amount Raised: $7 million Series A
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Website: sparkcharge.io

Check these Slides

31. dwolla pitch deck template.

Dwolla is advertised as "the best way to move money." 28-year-old Ben Milne has found a way to transfer money from the consumer or merchant to make a payment. This is Dwolla's Pitch Deck.

• Industry: Fintech
• Business Model: SaaS, transaction fees, partnerships
• Amount Raised: $16.5 million, Series C
• Location: Des Moines, Iowa, United States
• Website: dwolla.com

32. Evervault Pitch Deck Template

According to their website, Evervault's mission "is to make data privacy simple and accessible for all" by allowing developers to integrate data privacy in their apps. How did they gain their attention (and money)? Here's the pitch deck that made that happen, as redesigned by Slidebean.

• Industry: Encryption Software
• Business Model: usage-based
• Amount Raised: $3.2 million, Seed Round
• Location: Dublin, Ireland
• Website: evervault.com

Use Evervault template

33. vettery pitch deck template.

Here’s the Vettery pitch deck used to raise $9 million Series A on August 16, 2016, by co-founders Brett Adcock and Adam Goldstein.

• Industry: Hiring marketplace
• Business Model: SaaS, transaction fees
• Amount Raised: $9 million, Series A
• Location: New York, United States
• Website: hired.com

Use Vettery template

34. dutchie pitch deck template.

Dutchie is one of the fastest-growing cannabis companies in the world. They provide e-commerce and point-of-sale solutions for dispensaries across North America.

• Industry: Cannabis
• Business Model: 
• Amount Raised: $35 million Series B 
• Location: Oregon, United States
• Website: business.dutchie.com

Use Dutchie template

35. sololearn pitch deck template.

Sololearn, the Armenia-based instructional coding app, revolutionizes how people learn to code, with interactive lessons and peer-to-peer guidance.

• Industry: Ed-tech startup
• Business Model: Freemium, SaaS, Partnerships
• Amount Raised: $24 million Series B
• Location: San Francisco, California, United States ‍
• Website: sololearn.com

Use Sololearn template

What is a pitch deck.

A pitch deck is usually a simple 10-20 slide presentation designed to help founders raise venture capital.

It should give a brief and compelling presentation of a new business idea that entrepreneurs give to potential investors, customers, or partners. It's a chance for them to showcase their vision, explain their unique value proposition, and demonstrate their growth potential.

To create an effective pitch deck, it's crucial to cover a few key points, such as the problem the startup is addressing, the market opportunity it has identified, the team's expertise, and the execution plan. Moreover, highlighting the competitive advantage and potential return on investment can attract investors' attention and interest.

A successful pitch can lead to funding, partnerships, and growth opportunities. However, crafting one requires in-depth knowledge of the market, audience, and business model, as well as excellent communication and storytelling skills.

What should be in an investor deck presentation?

When creating a pitch deck presentation, it's important to remember that you only have a limited amount of time to capture your audience's attention and persuade them to invest in your company. Your deck should be concise and easy to understand, while still providing enough information to show that your business is worth investing in.

Some key things to include in your pitch deck are an overview of your business, information about your target market and competitors, your product or service, how you plan to make money, and a summary of your team. You should also have a section highlighting the risks and challenges associated with your business, as well as what sets you apart from the competition.

Most authors agree on the following investor pitch deck outline requirements :

• Market Size
• Business Model
• Underlying Magic
• Competition
• Better/Different
• Marketing Plan
• Traction / Milestones

If you're looking for more specific advice on creating a pitch the Slidebean team can guide you through the whole process.

Remember, investors have limited time, so be sure to prioritize key elements like the problem you're solving, your target market, the competitive landscape, your unique value proposition, and your financial projections.

More FAQs about pitch decks:

How to create a great pitch deck.

Your pitch deck is one of the most important tools in your arsenal. If you're pitching your startup idea or product, it's an opportunity to make a lasting impression on potential investors. And while there are many different types of decks out there, the best ones focus on three key points:

1. What problem do you solve?

2. How do you solve that problem?

3. Why should someone invest in you?

The presentation itself shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes, and it should be easy to follow along.

How to design pitch decks for investors?

A pitch deck is an important tool when pitching investors. It helps you present your business idea clearly and concisely, so they understand exactly why their investment will be profitable.

The first step is to create a list of all the things that need to be included in your pitch deck. For example, you may want to include:

- A clear description of your product/service

- An overview of your company's mission statement

- Your target market

- The benefits your product offers

- How much money you expect to raise

- Why your startup is unique

- What are your plans for growth

Once you have created this list, you can begin designing your pitch deck. You'll need to choose a template that best suits your needs. We offer over 100+ different pitch deck templates that can be used as inspiration.

How to write a successful pitch deck?

Mastering the art of creating an irresistible pitch deck can seem like a daunting task, but it shouldn’t. We're here to guide you through the process. First and foremost, you need a compelling narrative that showcases your business idea, market opportunity, and growth potential. Keep your pitch deck concise and visually appealing, with clear, simple language that gets straight to the point.

Now, if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed or simply want to supercharge your pitch deck, Slidebean's Agency Team is here to save the day. Our seasoned experts have a proven track record of helping companies raise more than $300 million in funds, and they're eager to help you reach the same heights. From crafting a compelling narrative to designing stunning visuals that captivate investors, our Agency Team will work with you every step of the way to create a pitch deck that not only looks great but also delivers results. With Slidebean by your side, you can focus on what you do best - building your business - while we take care of the rest.

Pitch Deck Presentation Service

Slidebean provides a premium service for startups, entrepreneurs, investors, and creatives who want to make better presentations. Our team of experts designs amazing slide decks every week. We want your audience to understand what you do and why you do it. If you want to start a new project, you can do it here: Slidebean Presentation Design Service

Besides the pitch deck examples we shared here, we have created, curated and redesigned several investor deck and set them as templates on our platform. Our presentation templates provide a fill-in-the-blank outline that can kick start your presentation workflow. Create a pitch deck that gets you funded. Browse templates from the most successful startups on the planet. Check them all here.

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What is the goal of a company pitch deck.

The main goal of a company pitch decks is to:

- Attract investment from potential investors. - Clearly explain what the company does and why it's valuable. - Build trust in the team and business strategy. - Show the market opportunity and growth potential. - Highlight achievements and progress. - Present financial projections. - Request a specific amount of funding. - Spark interest for further discussions.

How much does it cost to make a pitch deck?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the cost of making a pitch deck will vary depending on the level of detail and complexity involved. However, on average, you can expect to pay around $1,200-$6,000 for a high-quality investor deck. You can check Slidebean's prices here.

What is a Demo day?

A demo day refers to an event where entrepreneurs and startups showcase their products or services to potential investors, industry experts, and the general public. It is typically organized by incubators, accelerators, or venture capital firms to provide a platform for startups to present their business ideas, prototypes, or early-stage products.

During a demo day, each participating startup is given a specific amount of time, usually ranging from a few minutes to around 10 minutes, to deliver a presentation or pitch. The objective is to captivate the audience, generate interest in their venture, and attract potential investors or partners.

The text you provided highlights some key considerations when preparing for a demo day presentation versus a pitch deck presentation. For a demo day, the emphasis is on delivering a visually appealing presentation with minimal text. Since the audience may be seated at a distance, it is important to focus on visual elements that can be easily seen and understood. The presenter plays a crucial role in conveying the information and engaging the audience.

In contrast, a pitch presentation that is intended to be emailed should be self-explanatory, as it may be viewed on a laptop monitor where smaller fonts can be read comfortably. It is beneficial to track the recipient's activity on the presentation, such as whether they have read all the slides, as this information can inform the frequency of follow-up emails and help gauge their level of interest.

These considerations and tools for tracking viewer engagement are particularly valuable when seeking investment opportunities. Startups can utilize pitch deck platforms that offer features to monitor investor activity, which can play a critical role in securing funding.

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A pitch deck is the standard document used by startups to present their case to investors; it’s a brief deck of about 10 to 20 slides. See examples here.

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Pitch Deck vs Business Plan: Differences and Which to Use

Table of Contents

Have you ever spent time deciding between creating a pitch deck vs business plan? For startups and new business owners, where every minute counts, it’s crucial to concentrate on activities that deliver the most significant impact.

This blog article demystifies the pitch deck vs business plan, whether you aim to attract investors, secure a loan, or win over partners and clients. We’ll start with pitch decks, followed by business plans, with the goal of helping you choose wisely – so you can spend less time on paperwork and more time building your business.

1. What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a slideshow that concisely conveys your business idea, market opportunity, and value proposition in a presentation format. Also known as a business or investor deck, they are used to quickly present business ideas, products, or services in 10 to 20 slides.

Purpose of a pitch deck

The purpose of a pitch deck is similar to that of an elevator pitch: tell a compelling story to grab the attention of potential investors, partners, or clients.

The goal isn’t to seal a deal on the spot but to spark sufficient interest to secure follow-up meetings and negotiate potential funding.

How long should a pitch deck be?

Your pitch deck should pack a punch, not bore your investors. Aim for 10-20 impactful slides . For complex ideas or specific industries, slightly more might be okay.

The 10/20/30 rule is your friend: make a 10-slide deck that grabs attention. Investors see hundreds of pitch decks a year. Choose quality over quantity – make each slide count!

💡 Related article: How many slides do you need for a 10-minute presentation?

What should be in a pitch deck

Most successful pitch decks follow a similar flow to keep investors hooked. The tried-and-tested 10-slide pitch deck format is a great starting point but be prepared to adjust or add slides for emphasis.

These are the 10 core slides for a pitch deck based on Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule:

• Problem slide
• Solution slide
• Market size and opportunity
• Product/service
• Business model
• Competition
• Financials and key metrics
• Ask (funding needs)

Here are additional slides you may include based on specific business and investor preferences:

• Introduction
• Go-to-market (GTM) slide
• Sales and marketing strategy
• Use of funds
• Exit strategy

💡 Learn more about the 10/20/30 rule: How to create a pitch deck (and the 10 slides you need)

Pitch deck examples

Curious how some tech unicorns have pitched their ideas in the early stages? Here are two examples that have proven successful.

✅ Snapchat pitch deck (2013, Pre-seed)

✅ Tinder pitch deck (2016, Seed)

Examples from Best Pitch Decks

2. What is a business plan?

A business plan is a written document with detailed information that acts as a roadmap for your business. A traditional business plan is a formal document that outlines all aspects of your business, including its goals, strategies, market analysis, operational structure, and financial forecasts for the next 3 to 5 years. Most business plans are created in a Word document or report format, ranging from 10 to hundreds of pages long. 

There are other types of less formal business plans used by startups or for internal alignment:

• Lean startup plan/Lean canvas: Summarizes the value proposition and business model into a single page, with a focus on the problem-solution fit.
• One-page business plan: Fits the essential information of a business into one page. Great for quickly testing an idea’s viability or getting immediate feedback.
• Internal business plan: Less formal, designed for use within an organization — for example, a feasibility business plan, operations plan, strategic, or expansion plan.

Purpose of a business plan

Business plans aren’t just for paperwork – they drive action and results. Think of your business plan as a multi-purpose tool that serves several vital functions:

• Attract investors
• Fundraising or securing loans
• Map your strategy
• Provide a strategic roadmap
• Track business progress or provide a performance benchmark
• Win over partners, talents, and potential hires

Components of a business plan

Business plans don’t have a right or wrong format; only different situations call for other formats. You can mix different plan types to prioritize components that directly support your objectives.

What to include in a traditional business plan:

• Executive summary: A concise overview of your entire business plan, highlighting the most critical points.
• Company description: What your business does, the problem it solves, your target market, and competitive advantages.
• Market analysis: Research data like market size, trends, competitors, and customer demographics.
• Organization and management: The business structure, roles, and experience of key team members.
• Products or services: Details on your offer, including features, benefits, pricing, and any intellectual property considerations.
• Sales and marketing strategy: How you plan to reach your target customers (market) and tactics to promote and drive sales.
• Financial projections: Forecasts of your income, expenses, cash flow, and profitability for the next 1 to 5 years.
• Funding request: If you are fundraising, state the amount, how it will be used, and the terms you offer investors.
• Appendix: Include any supplemental information and documents.

💡 Pro tip: Customize your plan! Add, remove, or rearrange sections to achieve your goals.

How long should a business plan be?

Think about your reader and your goal.  Need a detailed plan for a bank loan? That might be 15-25 pages. Want a quick internal roadmap? A one-page Lean Canvas could work. Consider your industry, who’s reading it, and what you need the plan to do.

💡 Pro tip: Choose quality over quantity. Focus on clarity, regardless of length.

How long does it take to write a business plan?

It can take anything from 20 minutes to 20 weeks. The whole process of creating a business plan can be time-consuming (if opting for a long format), and it can also be quick (for example, the Lean Canvas).

The general advice is: Don’t overthink your first business plan. Start simple, move fast, and build as you grow. Business plans aren’t static, so be prepared to refine and expand your plan as the business evolves.

💡 Pro tip: It’s not uncommon to uncover some challenging sections while writing the plan – the key is to show awareness of these issues and ways to overcome them.

Business plan templates

Not sure where to start? Use these example plans and templates from these reputable sources to get you started: 

• SBA.gov: Write your business plan –  Has the traditional business plan and lean startup business plan templates
• SCORE.org – Has business plan templates for a startup , an established business , and the Business Model Canvas
• Bplans has over 550 business plan examples across multiple industries, which you can use for inspiration.

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3. Pitch deck vs business plan: the differences

Now that you understand pitch decks and business plans, let’s dive into their key differences.

• Pitch decks are short and punchy, designed to grab investors’ attention and get you that crucial meeting.
• Business plans are thorough and detailed documents, perfect for in-depth analysis or large funding requests.

💡 Think of it this way: Pitch decks are the attention-grabbing movie trailers that sell the whole project. Business plans are your complete blueprint.

Both documents can serve you, but understanding their differences helps you select the best tool for attracting investment or charting your company’s path.

4. Do you need a pitch deck or a business plan?

In the past, business plans were the standard document to present a business idea to investors. However, simple business plans and pitch decks are increasingly popular, especially in startups.

Here’s how to choose the right tool for the job:

🎯 Pitches and investor meetings

Pitch decks provide a snapshot of your business or idea’s potential to spark interest and secure future investor meetings.

🎯 Early stages or for idea validation

Use a simple business plan or Lean Canvas, as the format forces you to focus on the core problem you’re solving and the solution.

🎯 Internal roadmap and planning

Formal business plans will aid in longer-term strategic planning, or they can be shorter since they are for internal use.

🎯 Complex business model

Create a thorough business plan with intricate details; short plans and pitch decks wouldn’t cut it for specific industries or complicated business models.

🎯 Fundraising, loans, or traditional financing

Banks, investors, and government-funded grant applications often require a detailed business plan. Whether you seek debt or equity funding, angel investors, VCs, and banks need compelling reasons to support your venture.

💡 Pro tip: You’ll still need a traditional business plan for detailed strategy or significant funding!

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5. Conclusion

Pitch decks and business plans aren’t simply documents – they’re essential tools for driving your business forward. Now that you know the difference, consider your current needs. Ready to capture investor attention? Start crafting a compelling pitch deck. Need a detailed roadmap? Begin writing a winning business plan. Use the resources in this guide to get started and put your business on the right track toward success!

When should you write a business plan?

According to research by Harvard Business Review , between six and 12 months after deciding to start a business. For various reasons, crafting a comprehensive business plan either earlier or later doesn’t necessarily impact business success:

• Most startups pivot from their original ideas and plans.
• The time needed to create a thorough plan is better spent on other business activities (at least initially).
• Creating an elaborate plan may distract entrepreneurs from seeing opportunities in real time and responding to real customers’ needs.

Planning is valuable, and entrepreneurs who plan are more likely to start a successful business. However, you don’t need a complex business plan to begin working on your business. It’s okay to create a plan early on but remember; it’s more about being strategic with your time than trying to forecast the future from the start.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a canvas?

They differ in complexity and length. Business plans are longer and more detailed and are typically used to secure funding from investors or financial institutes.

A canvas, Lean Canvas , or business plan canvas, is a 1-page business plan. The Lean Canvas template helps you deconstruct your idea and focus on finding customer problems worth solving without a significant time investment. 

It is popular as a direct replacement for traditional business plans within startups. The canvas can be used for quick and efficient brainstorming of multiple business models in a few hours or less.

How do I turn a business plan into a pitch deck?

Once you’ve done the groundwork of creating a business plan, you can reuse some of the insights, data, and information for a pitch deck. 

• First, extract the core details from the business plan, such as the problem you solve, the solution, the size of the market, team strengths, and financials.
• Translate that information into your chosen pitch deck template (for example, the 10-slide pitch deck ) or use an AI presentation generator tool such as SlidesAI to structure your slides. 
• Add and emphasize visuals. Replace some text with charts, diagrams, and graphs whenever applicable.
• Edit and keep the pitch deck focused and clear. Quality over quantity!
• Get feedback, practice your pitch, and then iterate on the deck until you are ready to show it to investors.

💡 Related article: 5 best free AI pitch deck generators 2024

Is a pitch deck only for investors?

No, while the primary purpose of a pitch deck is to attract funding, it can be adapted for various audiences and goals, such as partnerships, customers (especially enterprise customers), grant applications, startup or pitch competitions, or even for internal alignment within your team.

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Business Plan vs. Pitch Deck: Understanding the Differences (and When to Use Each)

• May 10, 2024

Alright, aspiring founder, let’s talk about your startup dreams. You’ve got an amazing idea, the drive to make it happen, but maybe a little uncertainty about the next steps. That’s understandable!

Let’s be real, the startup world throws around a lot of jargon. Business plans, pitch decks, investor meetings… it can feel overwhelming. But here’s the thing: You don’t need a fancy MBA or a pocketful of cash to get started. All you really need is a solid plan.

In this guide, we’re breaking down the two essentials of any successful startup: the business plan and the pitch deck. We’ll explain what they are, why they matter, and how they fit into your unique journey. No fluff, no complex language, just straightforward advice to help you build your business, your way.

Think of a business plan as your startup’s roadmap. It outlines your vision, strategies, and financial projections, giving you a clear direction to follow. And your pitch deck? That’s your chance to shine, your opportunity to showcase your idea and captivate potential investors.

Whether you’re bootstrapping your business or seeking funding, understanding these two tools is crucial. So grab a coffee, get comfortable, and let’s dive into the world of business plans and pitch decks. Your startup adventure starts here!

Business Plan 101: The Roadmap for Your Dream

A business plan is the cornerstone of any successful startup. But what exactly is it? In simple terms, it’s a detailed roadmap that outlines your vision, strategies, and financial projections. Think of it as your GPS for navigating the exciting, sometimes bumpy, road of entrepreneurship. Studies have found that entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than otherwise identical non-planning entrepreneurs.

Why Do You Need a Business Plan?

• Clarity: A business plan forces you to clarify your ideas and goals. It helps you answer essential questions like: Who are your customers? What problem are you solving? How will you make money?
• Direction: It gives you a clear direction and helps you stay focused on your objectives.
• Decision-Making: A business plan is a valuable tool for making informed decisions about your business. It helps you identify potential risks and opportunities.
• Funding: If you’re seeking funding, like an SBA loan or a bank loan, a well-crafted business plan is typically a must. It shows lenders you’ve done your homework and have a solid plan for success.

Key Components of a Business Plan

• Executive Summary: A concise overview of your business, including your mission, vision, and key goals.
• Why Us: Clearly define the problem you’re solving, your unique solution, and why your business is the best one to tackle this issue. Highlight your unique value proposition – what sets you apart from competitors.
• Products or Services: Here, you can explicitly highlight the features and benefits of your offering.
• Business Model: A description of how your company creates, delivers, and captures value. This includes your revenue model (how you’ll make money), cost structure, key resources, and key activities.
• Go-to-Market Strategy: How you plan to reach and attract customers.
• Market Analysis: Research on your target market, including demographics, trends, market size, and potential growth,
• Competition Analysis: Identify your direct and indirect competitors and analyze what they do, their strengths and weaknesses, and identify key takeaways for your own business.
• SWOT Analysis: A framework for identifying and analyzing your business’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats.
• Organization and Management: Information about your team, their roles, and their expertise.
• Financial Projections: Your financial forecasts, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow projections.

Business Plan Tips for Early-Stage Founders

• Start Simple: You don’t need to create a 50-page document right away. A lean, 20-page or so business plan is often enough to get started.
• Focus on the Essentials: Identify the key elements of your business and focus on those.
• Be Realistic: Don’t overestimate your projections or underestimate your challenges.
• Get Feedback: Share your business plan with trusted advisors and mentors.
• Keep it Updated: Your business plan is a living document. Update it regularly as your business evolves.

Pitch Deck Essentials: Captivate Investors

If your business plan is the roadmap, your pitch deck is “the movie trailer”—a highlight reel designed to spark excitement and interest. It’s a visual presentation, usually in the form of slides, that tells the story of your startup.

Why Do You Need a Pitch Deck?

While a business plan is essential for you and potential lenders, a pitch deck is typically used to grab the attention of angel investors, venture capitalists, and other potential investors. It’s your chance to make a memorable first impression and leave them wanting more. A compelling pitch deck can open doors to funding opportunities and valuable connections.

Key Slides of a Pitch Deck

Key Elements of a Pitch Deck

• Title Slide: Grab attention with your company name, logo, and tagline.
• Problem: Clearly define the problem you’re solving. Make it relatable and impactful.
• Solution: Describe your product or service and how it solves the problem. Highlight what makes your solution unique and innovative.
• Why Now: Explain why the timing is right for your solution. Showcase market trends or technological advancements that make your solution relevant and urgent.
• Founder/Market Fit: Demonstrate why you (the founder or co-founders) are the right people to solve the problem. Highlight relevant experience, passion, or unique insights that connect you to the problem and the market.
• Traction: Highlight any early successes or milestones you’ve achieved. This could include user growth, revenue, partnerships, or awards.
• How it Works: Give a brief overview of how your product or service works. Use visuals to simplify complex concepts.
• Market Opportunity: Show the size and potential of your target market. Use data and visuals to demonstrate a clear opportunity.
• Competition and Competitive Advantage: Showcase your competitive landscape and emphasize what differentiates you from others.
• Go-to-Market Strategy: Outline your roadmap, as well as your marketing plan for reaching and acquiring customers.
• Team: Showcase your team’s experience and expertise. Investors invest in people as much as ideas.
• Ask and Financials: Clearly state how much funding you’re seeking and how you plan to use it. Briefly summarize your financial projections to demonstrate potential return on investment.
• Thank You: End with a call to action and your contact information.

Pitch Deck Tips for Early-Stage Founders

• Keep it Concise: Your pitch deck should ideally be around 10-15 slides. Remember, less is often more.
• Tell a Story: Craft a compelling narrative that captures your audience’s attention and keeps them engaged.
• Use Visuals: Incorporate high-quality images, charts, and graphs to make your pitch deck visually appealing and easy to understand.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: Rehearse your pitch delivery until you’re confident and comfortable.

Business Plan vs. Pitch Deck: Key Differences

Now that we’ve explored both business plans and pitch decks, let’s compare and contrast these two essential documents. Understanding their differences will help you determine when and how to use each one effectively.

• Business Plan: A comprehensive document used for internal planning, securing funding from traditional sources (e.g., banks, SBA loans), and guiding your business decisions.
• Pitch Deck: A visual presentation designed to capture the attention of investors, communicate your value proposition quickly, and spark interest in your startup.
• Business Plan: Primarily for yourself, your team, and potential lenders.
• Pitch Deck: Primarily for investors, potential partners, and advisors.
• Business Plan: Detailed and comprehensive, covering all aspects of your business, including market analysis, financial projections, and operational details.
• Pitch Deck: Concise and focused, highlighting the most compelling aspects of your business, such as the problem, solution, market opportunity, and team.
• Business Plan: Typically a written document, ranging from 15 to 25 pages, with detailed text and supporting data.
• Pitch Deck: A visual presentation with 10-15 slides, using clear and concise language, engaging visuals, and impactful data points.

Level of Detail

• Business Plan: Goes into depth on each aspect of your business, providing a thorough analysis and explanation.
• Pitch Deck: Offers a high-level overview, leaving room for further discussion and questions during a pitch meeting.

When to Use Each

• Business Plan: Use it to develop a clear roadmap for your business, secure traditional funding, and guide your decision-making process.
• Pitch Deck: Use it to pitch your business to investors, generate excitement, and attract potential partners.

In essence, your business plan is the foundation of your startup, while your pitch deck is the polished facade that attracts attention and investment. Both are essential tools for different stages of your entrepreneurial journey.

Remember, a business plan and a pitch deck should complement each other, not compete. A well-crafted business plan can serve as the basis for your pitch deck, providing the data and analysis to back up your claims. Conversely, a compelling pitch deck can generate interest that leads investors to request your full business plan for a more thorough review.

There you have it – the essentials of business plans and pitch decks. Think of your business plan as the foundation, and your pitch deck as the showcase. One is detailed and comprehensive, the other is visual and concise. Both are essential tools to guide your journey and share your story.

Remember, every great startup has a story to tell. It’s time to write yours. Start with a business plan to clarify your vision, and then craft a pitch deck that will captivate investors and set your startup on the path to success.

And if you’re looking for a helping hand to craft a compelling story, our team at Numberly is here to help! We specialize in helping startups articulate their vision, develop robust business plans, create pitch decks that wow investors, and even build accurate financial projections to showcase your potential. Your story is unique, and we’re here to help you tell it in the most impactful way possible. SCHEDULE A FREE CALL with our expert to get started today!

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A sports startup for bettors and creators raised $3.7 million. Read 10 key pitch-deck slides it used to get seed funding.

• Sports startup SoBet announced that it raised $3.7 million in seed funding.
• The company built a platform for sports-betting content from short-video creators.
• Below are 10 key slides founder Cooper Lycan used to pitch investors.

Sports-media startup SoBet is building a sports-betting community around content creators.

Its platform, which launched in June 2022, distributes exclusive short-form videos and other content from sports creators popular on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

The company announced on May 1 that it closed a $3.7 million seed round led by Third Kind Venture Capital to help grow the platform.

SoBet aims to set itself apart from other betting-content sites like the Action Network and VSIN by offering easily digestible and entertaining sports content for the next generation of sports gamblers, while giving content creators more ways to monetize their audiences.

"We like to call it the trusted creator network for sports-betting influencers," founder and CEO Cooper Lycan told Business Insider. "We've built a platform that looks and feels a lot like a social-media platform that houses exclusive content in the form of short-form writeups, short-form videos, etc. — all posted by sports-betting creators in the space."

The company is targeting 18-to-35-year-old casual bettors who may be relatively new to sports betting and want information to help them make bets. Lycan said they're people "looking to be responsible bettors at the end of the day and not trying to become degenerate gamblers."

He compared it to platforms like StockTwits for betting.

The company's next phase of growth is focused on building out the tech engine behind the platform to offer features that make it more transparent, like automatic bet-tracking leaderboards.

Lycan said the subscription-based platform, which charges $9.95 monthly for a base plan, has over 6,000 paying subscribers and more than 50 creators posting weekly.

Despite it being a relatively tough time for fundraising , Lycan said investors during the pitching process were drawn to the amount of user-generated content that influencers were producing on the platform, as well as metrics like growth in daily active users and revenue.

The company said it had more than $1 million in annual recurring revenue from subscriptions, and Lycan said it was targeting more than $2 million this year.

"The social betting nut is really tough to crack," Lycan said. "I don't think there have been a lot of companies that have gained the traction or the revenue as quickly as we have. So I think that's probably the most attractive part of our deal and why, ultimately, we were able to get people to back us."

SoBet shared 10 key slides from the pitch deck used to close its recent funding. The full deck, which was viewed by BI, also included slides with images of competitor websites and partners that the company did not have permission to share publicly, as well as financial and user-growth figures and a product road map that the company did not want to release.

Introducing SoBet

The company introduces its logo and app to investors and presents itself as a place to "elevate your betting game."

What is SoBet?

The deck describes SoBet as a platform for sports bettors and content creators.

Founder Lycan said the app was built to look and feel like a social-media platform with exclusive short-form write-ups and videos. The posts are created by sports-content creators with followings on other apps like Instagram.

The product was created to help sports bettors be more informed.

At the time of the pitch deck, SoBet said it delivered about 2,000 posts a month. That figure is now up to about 5,000 posts a month, the company said in a press release announcing the fundraise.

The platform aims to help gamblers be more informed when they place a bet, providing tools to track money lines live or compare bets. It also offers features for creators to grow and monetize their communities, such as the ability to launch VIP channels.

The growth of sports-betting creators on social media

The company said it has about 50 creators on its platform and more within its network.

It estimated an even larger and growing pool of more than 2,000 creators on other social platforms, such as TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, that could be tapped.

SoBet says its user-friendly platform is a key differentiator.

The company describes how it sets itself apart from other sports-betting sites with content that is easy to use, entertaining, and from a curated selection of sports-betting creators.

Lycan said SoBet's target audience is 18-to-35-year-old sports bettors who are looking for a platform with transparency and information.

SoBet’s business model

SoBet charges users $9.95 a month to subscribe to its base plan with access to content from its more than 50 creators. The company then shares 60% of that revenue with its creators.

VIP channels with exclusive content from individual creators cost $25 a month, and 90% of that revenue is paid out to the creator.

SoBet touts its 50-plus creators.

The company said it had more than 50 creators with over 3 million daily views across platforms.

The deck highlights SoBet’s founder and key executives.

Lycan, the founder and CEO, was a former sports-betting analyst and US Army Ranger. SoBet's tech chief and head of growth also have backgrounds in tech, sports, and startups.

How SoBet plans to use the new funding.

SoBet breaks down how it plans to use its funding, including paying creators and staff and spending on marketing.

The pitch deck closes with the title slide from the beginning of the presentation.

• Main content

Motional cut about 550 employees, around 40%, in recent restructuring, sources say

Around 550 employees across autonomous vehicle company Motional have been laid off, according to information taken from WARN notice filings and sources at the company. 

Earlier this week, TechCrunch reported that Motional is pausing commercial operations and delaying plans to launch a robotaxi service with its next-gen Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxis until 2026 as it undergoes restructuring. Now, we have more clarity into how deep the cuts are.

An employee at Motional who spoke to TechCrunch on the condition of anonymity said every team has been affected, with high-level departures including the company’s chief operating officer, Abe Ghabra. 

The technical program management team that deals with autonomy and cloud operations has been cut from 44 to 19, the source said. The Milpitas office in Silicon Valley — which was home to a division of Motional’s compute design team — is being wound down, as well, two sources confirmed. Sources also confirmed that the high-performance computing team has been eliminated, including its director, David Fermor. The Venice office in Los Angeles — which was a small operations and commercial hub doing deliveries for Uber Eats — is also being wound down, sources say.

TechCrunch has also learned that the team behind Motional’s remote vehicle assistance platform has been heavily cut. Employees who worked in testing, product, safety, cybersecurity and legal teams were also affected. In a statement, the company noted that all functions of the business received staff cuts.

Around 145 of the laid-off employees came from Pittsburgh, according to a WARN notice filed with Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry this week. Most of the employees in Pittsburgh worked on software, according to a source familiar with the matter. Motional was also testing in California, Nevada and Massachusetts, but WARN notices in those states have not yet been filed. 

One source said the autonomy and infrastructure software teams were pretty unaffected. Still, Motional is left with a smaller workforce to help improve its core technology and business model while holding onto what limited capital it has left. 

One of the sources at Motional told TechCrunch the company has a lot of improvements to make on its technology. Until this week, Motional had been running robotaxi rides in Las Vegas on the Uber and Lyft networks and delivering to Uber Eats customers in Santa Monica. At all times, a human safety operator had been behind the wheel, in addition to another specialist in the passenger seat to manually log any issues. Meanwhile, Motional’s main competition Waymo is offering fully autonomous rides in Phoenix , San Francisco and Los Angeles .

Motional did not comment on any of the specifics in this article, but offered the following statement: “We’ve updated our strategic plan to focus resources on the continued development and generalization of our core driverless technology, while de-emphasizing near-term commercial deployments and ancillary activities. This updated strategy requires a streamlining of our teams, resulting in a reduction in staff across all functions of the business. The team members leaving Motional have our deepest appreciation for their contributions to our goals.”

Hyundai investment

Motional was originally the product of a $4 billion joint venture between Hyundai and automotive supplier Aptiv. The company’s future was put into doubt earlier this year when Aptiv announced plans to reduce its ownership interest and stop allocating capital to the venture due to the high cost of commercializing a robotaxi business and the long road ahead to profits. Aptiv expects to reduce its equity interest in Motion from 50% as of March 31 to about 15%, leaving Hyundai with the remainder of control.

A week ago, Hyundai pumped Motional with a $475 million round and spent another $448 million to buy 11% of Aptiv’s common equity interest in the company. This follows a bridge loan that Motional secured in March as a stand-in to this other investment to buy some time after laying off 5% of staffers a couple weeks prior. 

The layoffs at Motional are a sign of challenges in the autonomous vehicle industry, as fewer companies are able to keep spending billions of dollars on a technology that is far from ready for prime time and even further away from breaking even.

More details on severance

One employee who was laid off told TechCrunch those affected will continue to get a paycheck for 10 weeks with their last day slated for July 6. Rather than a lump sum payment, laid-off employees will get something called “garden leave,” which means they’ll be paid every two weeks like a normal paycheck, according to an off-boarding slide deck that TechCrunch has viewed. 

Employees will also receive an additional 28.5% bonus on top of the 20% bonus they received in March.

Motional has asked employees to alert the company if they find a new job before July 6 in order to “avoid overlap in employment.”

Employees with equity that vested in March 2024 will not be able to be paid out immediately because Motional is still waiting on its valuation to determine the new share price, per the deck. 

Correction: Information regarding the certain aspects of severence, specifically the bonus amount was incorrectly listed as only 28.5%, when in fact it was an additional 28.5%.

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